Pfizer’s updated bivalent COVID-19 booster "significantly" increased adults’ virus-fighting antibodies, the company said Friday, releasing preliminary findings from a rigorous study. The FDA says the data should encourage more Americans to get the shot before holiday travel. Via Yahoo News:
Pfizer said people 55 and older who got the omicron-targeting booster had four-fold higher antibody levels than those given an extra dose of the original vaccine.
With many Americans reluctant to roll up their sleeves again, perhaps the better question is how the new booster compares to going without another dose.
A hint: A month after receiving the new booster, antibody levels in people 55 and older had jumped 13 times higher than before the extra dose. Younger adults saw a 9.5-fold jump, Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said. It had been about 11 months since the study participants’ last vaccination.
It’s too soon to know how much real-world protection the antibody boost translates into — and how long it will last. The results are preliminary, the study is still underway and infection-fighting antibodies naturally wane over time.
I got the Pfizer booster a week ago, and it really kicked my ass. But getting such a strong immune response is supposed to be a good thing, so I'll take it!
