Cardiologist Dr. VT Shah, who was away from the catheterization labs for 11 months, was eager to resume the practice after vaccination. Fifteen days after taking the first dose on January 20, he did a peak antibody test at Breach Candy Hospital, which was negative. He did the antibody test again after giving the second injection on February 20. “My levels were above 220,” said Shah. “It gave me the confidence to resume the practice, but I still wear a mask.”
Some health professionals are using the test to time the second dose of vaccination. The time interval between doses of the vaccine, particularly Covishield, has been the subject of debate with the WHO, saying that the second dose is more effective if taken between 8-12 weeks, while the Ministry of Health of the Union has maintained the minimum interval of four weeks.
Dr. Prince Surana, CEO of Surana Sethia Hospital in Chembur, said: “After the first dose, my peak protein levels increased to 80 U / Ml. If my antibody was not so high, I may have postponed the second dose ”.
The labs say they are only responding to society’s demand. “The test will give us a lot of data on the levels of low, moderate and high antibodies that can shed light on how adequate it is to fight the virus,” said Metropolis Healthcare President Dr. Nilesh Shah.
Dr. Anupa Dixit, of Suburban Diagnostics, said the tests work as a guarantee at the end of two jabs. “The best time to check for antibodies is 15 days after the second injection,” she said.
Some believe that the test may be unnecessary and even unreliable. Dr. Sujata Baveja, who heads the microbiology department at Hospital Sion, said that not all Covid-19 antibody test kits are reliable.
The US CDC does not recommend antibody testing after vaccination and adds that there is no information on revaccination or additional doses if there are no antibodies. Covid state task force member Dr. Rahul Pandit said the neutralizing antibody test could give people a false sense of complacency as they may feel they can wait before getting the vaccine or the second dose. According to immunologist Dr. Mukesh Desai at Wadia Hospital, patients sometimes have higher protective T cells, although their antibodies may be undetectable. “When vaccine effectiveness is established, what is the point of doing an antibody test?”