Expert: Longer interval between vaccine doses better for antibodies

Those who missed their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine need not worry about restarting the vaccine process because longer interval between doses would allow more time for antibodies to develop, a vaccine expert said Saturday.

Interviewed on state-run PTV’s Laging Handa, Vaccine Development Expert Panel head Dr. Nina Gloriani said, “kapag mas mahaba ‘yung interval between doses mas may time na dumami ‘yung antibodies.”

[The longer the interval, the more time is afforded to antibodies to develop.]

“So meron tayong mga b-cells na nagiging plasma cells na siyang gagawa ng antibodies so you are giving them more time to produce more antibodies” (We have b-calls which become plasma cells that produce antibodies so you are giving them more time to produce more antibodies), Gloriani said.

She pointed out that missing on the second dose for a period of three months is no big deal.

Earlier, Infectious disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvana said that not getting the second dose on schedule does not negate the first dose.

But, he said it is better to get the second dose on time to get the full protection provided by the vaccine.

Gloriani, meanwhile, said that if the second dose is given in a later time, one does not need to restart the vaccine process.

She noted that those who got infected with COVID-19 after receiving the first dose are still eligible for a second dose as long as the patient is fully recovered. —LBG, GMA News