Studies show that people infected with COVID-19 only need to be vaccinated once.

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Vancouver — Scientists from the National Advisory Board on Immunization are reviewing studies suggesting that people infected with COVID-19 can turbocharge their antibodies with a single vaccine.

“We are actively reviewing evidence of protection provided by a single dose to previously infected individuals and whether a second dose will continue to be needed,” the panel said. Says.

Caroline Quatchan said the committee is “discussing” the issue of the number of vaccine doses needed by people infected with COVID-19.

“France and Quebec said only one,” Commission Chair Quach-Thanh said in an email.

Studies show that people infected with COVID-19 may develop the required antibody response with a single vaccination.

Earlier this month, a letter from the New England Journal of Medicine stated that the question of whether a single dose was sufficient was “needed to be investigated.” It was created by 32 researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York after conducting a small study.

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This means that people infected with the new coronavirus may produce 10-45 times more antibodies after the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine than those who do not have COVID-19. Suggests. The study has not yet been peer reviewed.

According to Quach-Thanh, the data show that the response to the first dose of the vaccine is stronger for people infected with the virus.

“Like a booster dose,” she said.

People who are infected and receive a second shot may also have stronger side effects such as fever, pain, and tiredness. This indicates that the immune system is already in place.

“The remaining question is whether it applies to everyone, or at least to the majority.”

British Columbia Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said early data from around the world show that people who test positive for COVID-19 get a good response with just one vaccine. Said suggesting.

“The jury hasn’t come out yet, but a single dose seems to have a very strong booster effect, and a second booster may not be needed,” she said.

Quebec’s director of public health, Oracio Aruda, said at a press conference earlier this week that vaccination experts said that a single dose of the vaccine would be the same amount as the two doses three months after recovery from the disease. He said he believed in providing immunity to the disease.

Aruda explained that a second dose is not recommended for people infected with COVID-19 because it “does not weaken immunity and causes more serious side effects” such as flu-like symptoms.

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Professor Fiona Brinkman of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Simon Fraser University said the number of antibodies produced by a person could depend on the severity of the COVID-19 infection.

That doesn’t mean that people need to be tested for antibodies before they get the vaccine, but that may change, she added.

“For now, our policy is to just vaccinate everyone and give them their first dose.”

However, Quach-Thanh warned that the presence of the antibody itself is not a sign of protection and that not everything is made equally.

“Some people who don’t have much antibody are protected, while those who have antibodies may not be so protected,” she said.

Brinkman said there could be differences between COVID-19 infection and the type of antibody produced after the vaccine.

“The most important thing is to have these specific antibodies (what are called neutralizing antibodies) that we really want,” she said, saying that vaccines have been shown to produce them. I added.

Experts said it would be harmless for a person infected with COVID-19 to take both shots.

The Commission’s statement also said it was assessing how long people previously infected with COVID-19 could wait before vaccination, based on new evidence.

One of the concerns researchers have is how long immunity will last, Brinkman said.

“The disease was literally not long enough to adequately assess how well an antibody and immune response were effective against the virus if it was vaccinated or ill.”

Researchers also said that many people may only need one injection, which could mean that the vaccine will be delivered to the arm faster.

“That’s really good news,” Brinkman said. “If anything, that’s a good thing.”