Are you after your first dose of the vaccine? Check what your protection against COVID-19 is

Over 19 million Poles are behind the first dose of the COVID-12,8 vaccine. Its adoption does not mean, however, that these people are already fully protected. Coronavirus immunity does not appear immediately after vaccination and is also partial after the first injection. When do COVID-19 vaccines start to work? And how much immunity is after the first dose? We explain.

1. Immunity against COVID-19 does not appear immediately after vaccination
2. To receive the protection guaranteed by the vaccine manufacturer, you need to take two doses (except the single-dose preparation) and wait 14 days.
3. Partial protection comes already after taking the first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine
4. Protection against COVID-19 following the first dose of the vaccine varies by manufacturer. In some cases, it may be as high as 80%.
5. CDC: If you missed the second dose, you are not fully protected. Take all preventive steps until fully grafted out
6. More information can be found on the Onet homepage.

When do COVID-19 vaccines start to work?

So far, over 18 million vaccinations against COVID-19 have been carried out in Poland. There are 5,6 million Poles fully vaccinated, i.e. after receiving the second dose and / or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, with over 12,8 million people having the first dose.

Let us recall that four vaccines against COVID-19 are currently available in Poland: Comirnaty (BioNTech / Pfizer), a preparation from Moderna, AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 (all are administered in two doses) and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine (administered in one dose).

Another important thing – immunity against SARS-CoV-2 does not appear immediately after taking the preparation, and we gain full protection after the second dose.

How soon after you have the vaccine does your body start making antibodies to SARS-CoV-2? In other words, since when and to what extent are we protected? Details are presented in the table below.

Obviously, partial immunity appears after the first dose of the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine. Research analyzes suggest that greater resistance to COVID-19 becomes apparent 14 days after vaccination. With AstraZeneki, protection starts approximately three weeks after the first dose. As for the Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine, the onset of protection was observed from the 14th day after ingestion.

What exactly does “partial protection” mean? What protection does the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine provide? These issues were explained by a professor of medical statistics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and a former member of the drug safety committee at the European Medicines Agency, Stephen Evans. The scientist relied on data from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

1. When does the vaccine start working? How to check your immunity?

Protection after the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer-BioNTech: at least 80%

According to FDA data, the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine protected against symptomatic COVID-19 at 52,4 percent. This figure includes 11 days before antibody formation after the first dose, so the actual level of protection may be higher.

According to FDA data, protection against symptomatic COVID-19 for the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine ranges from 29,5 to 84,5 percent. As prof. Evans, the range is wide, “because few people caught COVID-19 while being tested during this period.”

In terms of protection against hospitalization and death from SARS-CoV-2 infection, the dose of the Pfizer vaccine was 100% effective. However, this was based on a small amount of data – only four people had experienced severe COVID-19 in the study after receiving a placebo (not a vaccine).

Prof. Evans points out that there is “pretty clear evidence” that the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine results in at least 80 percent. protection – and “probably” more than 90 percent. – against COVID-19.

Protection after the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna: at least 80 percent

The Moderny vaccine was 19 percent effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-69,5. in the period between the first and second doses. Estimated 69,5 percent. covers 13 days before protection begins, so the actual level of protection may be higher. Its real value is between 43,5 and 84,5 percent.

In the study, about 7 percent. participants did not receive a second dose for unknown reasons. In this group, 19% of the first injection protected against symptomatic COVID-50,8. up to 14 days after the first dose, after 14 days it was 92,1%.

It is unclear to what extent the first dose of the vaccine protects against hospitalization and death from SARS-CoV-2 infection, as few people in the analyzes developed severe COVID-19 (two in the vaccinated group and four in the placebo group). .

In conclusion, prof. Evans points out: between the first and second doses of the Moderna vaccine, protection against symptomatic coronavirus infection is at least 80%. and probably more than 90 percent.

Protection after the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. AstraZeneca: over 70%

With the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, called Vaxzevria, things get a bit more complicated. Due to a large study in progress, the FDA has not yet provided data on the efficacy of the first dose of the vaccine, as with other formulations. However, information is provided by an analysis published on February 19 in the prestigious medical journal “The Lancet”. According to them, a single dose of AstraZeneca was 76 percent. effective in protecting against symptomatic COVID-19 for at least 90 days.

Protection after the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. J&J: 66 percent

For the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, a slightly different criterion was used. Protection against symptomatic COVID-19, as in Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneka, but moderate to severe, was analyzed.

Protection appeared after 14 days, and its effectiveness after 28 days was estimated at 66,1%. Interestingly, the level of vaccine effectiveness varied depending on the country in which the preparation was used – in the US it is 72%, but in South Africa it is 64%. and in Brazil – 68 percent. (Both of these countries circulate variants of the coronavirus that may partially avoid antibodies).

What does the COVID-19 Vaccine Percentage Effectiveness Mean?

How to understand the values ​​presented above? Stephen Evans explains that vaccine percentages refer to the percentage of people who developed full protection after the first dose of vaccine. At 80 percent effectiveness, 80 percent. people are fully protected, and 20 percent. no. For those who developed full protection after taking the first dose of the vaccine, the second injection strengthens the quality of the immune response and its durability.

It is worth recalling the CDC recommendation addressed to people after the first vaccination: if less than two weeks have passed since your immunization, or if you did not take the second dose, you are not fully protected. Take all preventive steps until fully grafted out. Particular caution is advised in those who have received the first dose of the two-stage vaccine – if they become ill during this time, the second dose may be delayed.

If you are taking medicines that suppress your immune system or are struggling with a disease that affects it, you may not be fully protected, even after taking both doses of the vaccine. In this case, consult your doctor – even after vaccination, you may still need to take precautions.

You may be interested in:

1. Do you have an unwanted reaction after vaccination? This must be reported
2. Poles do not want to vaccinate with AstraZeneka. Why is it not worth being afraid of? [WE EXPLAIN]
3. Are you “hunting” a specific COVID-19 vaccine? We explain why it is not worth combining

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