Which vaccine booster shot is the most effective?

Washington — Many people are wondering which one to get, as three booster shots have been approved and recommended by public health authorities, including the CDC.

Posts are widespread on social media to rank boosters for each vaccine. To see if this figure is accurate, the Verify team talked to two medical professionals and examined the NIH study.

Does NIH preliminary data show that certain boosters produce more antibodies than other boosters?

Yes. Although this study has limitations (such as small sample sizes), so far it has been shown that mRNA boosters produce significantly larger antibody responses.

This is especially true for those who have been vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson. Following this vaccine with an mRNA booster, the results showed a much larger antibody response.

At this point, the FDA has approved and the CDC recommends booster immunization for all three vaccinated individuals. Boosters are available to the following people:

Johnson & Johnson Vaccine:

• People over the age of 18 who have been vaccinated for more than 2 months

Moderna and Pfizer Vaccine:

• 65 years or older, 6 months after initial administration
• People over 18 years old living in a long-term care facility 6 months after the first dose
• 18 years or older with underlying disorder, 6 months after initial administration
• People over the age of 18 working or living in a high-risk environment 6 months after the first dose

• CDC also allows you to mix and match shots. This means that someone can receive one vaccine and, if qualified, switch to another brand of booster.

People are looking for boosters that will produce the most effect, as mixing and matching are allowed. Posts are widespread on social media, claiming to rank boosters.

To confirm, our team contacted two medical professionals, Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University and Dr. Amesh Adalha of Johns Hopkins University.

Also tracked dataBehind this social media graphic. The data are from an NIH study that evaluated 458 individuals divided into 9 groups. Each group represents a combination of one of three vaccines and one of three boosters.

The numbers reflected in the social media graphics show the “geometric mean fold rise” calculated through the survey.

“Geometric doubling refers to the level of antibody measured after vaccination,” said Dr. Adalja. “So whenever you boost, you will get an increase in antibodies. They will increase by a factor of 2, or whatever it is.”

The data showed that there was a much larger antibody response to the mRNA booster. This was especially true for those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for the first time, and the study showed the following antibody jumps:

• 4.6-fold antibody increase after Johnson and Johnson booster
• 32.8-fold increase in antibody after Pfizer booster
• Increase in 56.1X antibody after Moderna booster

“Clearly, J and J followed by one of the mRNA vaccines results in higher antibody levels than J and J themselves,” said Dr. Schaffner.

The data showed that mRNA boosters were also preferred for those who received the mRNA vaccine. Due to limited data, Adalja recommended sticking to the mRNA vaccine received at the first dose.

“If someone gets the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine,” he said. “I think they should stick to what they got. There is really no benefit to switching within the mRNA vaccine class.”

As the research itself points out, the data are limited.

“Our research has its limits,” it reads. “It is not designed to directly compare responses between different booster regimens. The sample size is insufficient for comparison between groups, and the demographics studied do not represent the US population. . “

Adalja also pointed out that antibodies are not the only way to measure immunity.

“We need to remember that the immune system is more than just an antibody,” he said. “It also includes T cells and T cell immunity, but it’s not easy to measure, so you can only see one side.”