The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine could increase antibodies up to 20 times after the second dose and may prevent people from passing the virus on to others, new research has shown. Scientists already knew that the vaccine stopped those who have had the jab from having the most serious symptoms of coronavirus, but whether it was able to stop transmission to others was still unclear. During trials of the vaccine, the Pfizer jab was found to be 95 per cent effective in stopping people from becoming ill with Covid-19 if they get infections, following two doses. Stopping transmission Research conducted in Israel has now found that once people have been given both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, they should stop being able to transmit the virus to others. Professor Gili Regev-Yohai, director of the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, has released early findings from her research, which has so far shown positive results. The research shows that the lower viral load after having the two-dose vaccine means that people shed fewer viral particles from their mouth and nose, which consequently makes them less infectious to others. People who have been given the Pfizer vaccine have up to 20 times more antibodies than those who have had coronavirus and recovered, according to recent findings. As such, people who are inoculated are therefore less likely to spread the virus further as they have a higher level of antibodies. The results of the preliminary research was based on 102 cases of medical personnel vaccinated at Sheba Medical Center, all of whom had more antibodies than people who were severely infected with the virus and made a recovery. Speaking to the Jerusalem Post, she explained: "The results of the survey are in line with Pfizer’s experiment and even better than expected. “I expect that the survey results of the other employees participating will be similar. There is certainly reason for optimism.” More than 4 million vaccinations More than four million people have now received their first dose of either the Pfizer or Oxford Covid-19 vaccine so far in the UK. The vaccination programme began its rollout on 8 December 2020 and has already seen more than half of those aged 80 and over receive the first of their two jabs. Letters have now been sent out to people aged 70 and over, and the clinically extremely vulnerable, in England, inviting them to get their jab as the NHS begins the rollout to the next two priority groups. So far, the NHS has been working to vaccinate care home residents and staff, people aged 80 and over, and frontline health and care staff as a top priority.
