DOH: Don’t use antibody tests to confirm protection of COVID-19 vaccines

The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday recommended against the use of antibody tests to confirm the level of protection provided by COVID-19 vaccines after experts warned that results may cause confusion.

“A negative antibody test does not mean that the COVID-19 vaccine did not work,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a statement.

“We advise the public to consult their doctor before doing any diagnostic test because these should only be performed with professional guidance,” she added.

Vergeire also pointed out that even the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend antibody testing after COVID-19 vaccination.

She assured the public that COVID-19 vaccines available locally are safe and effective and underwent a “rigorous” regulatory process.

In a previous online forum, DOH Epidemiology Bureau director Dr. Alethea De Guzman also said antibody test results may be prone to misinterpretation.

This was echoed in a congressional hearing by several experts who urged vaccinated individuals not to take an antibody test, noting that these do not measure the totality of the body’s immune response to COVID-19. 

Iloilo Representative and former Health Secretary Janette Garin said antibody testing is “already eating up the confidence on vaccination,” especially among those who test negative for antibodies.

“There is no guarantee that the tests will tell you if you are protected or not, immune or not,” Dr. Jaime Montoya, chief of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, said in Filipino.

The Philippines has inoculated over 3.9 million people as of May 30, still far from the government’s target of vaccinating 58 million individuals in COVID-19 hotspots by November. — RSJ, GMA News