Latest ONS Covid-19 antibody data is good news, but almost half a million adults will be left unprotected by jabs, warns London Medical Laboratory
Over 9 in 10 adults have Covid antibodies, according to a new ONS data, but London Medical Laboratory warns that the vaccine still won’t work for 1 person in 100. It says we need to identify these people urgently.
Today’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) Coronavirus Infection Survey revealed over 9 in 10 British adults, or 93.6% of the adult population, have developed antibodies through vaccinations or past infection. However, the coronavirus antibody testing expert London Medical Laboratory (LML) is warning that, even if every UK adult is fully vaccinated, up to 540,000 people won’t develop antibodies.
Dr. Quinton Fivelman, PhD, the Chief Scientific Officer at London Medical Laboratory, has just authored the White Paper ‘Has your vaccine worked? Are you immune to Covid-19?’. He warns: ‘Our research reveals that 1 in 100 fully vaccinated people fail to develop antibodies. People believe they are protected against Covid following both of their jabs and are living their lives accordingly but, in fact, a significant proportion are as vulnerable as unvaccinated people. Businesses could be returning to pre-pandemic work routines with a misplaced sense of confidence in their staff’s antibody levels, following this data.
‘88% of adults have now had at least one jab and 72.5% two, but one in hundred won’t develop antibodies against Covid-19. There are currently nearly 54m adults in the UK. Even if every single adult is fully vaccinated, 1% of them (540,000) won’t develop any antibodies following their jabs. Additionally, many people will develop very low antibody levels that may provide minimal protection for only a short period. We need more testing of antibody levels among people who have been vaccinated, to identify those individuals for whom the jab has not worked. This will be particularly important as we enter the winter months so we can identify which people may need booster shots.
‘Covid-19 antibody tests have been around for a while, but earlier ones were not always highly accurate. New “second generation” tests have been introduced that are far more accurate and informative. Antibody levels across the UK population range from 0 to 80,000 AU/ml – covering the spectrum from those who are unvaccinated through to those who have responded very well to the vaccine. Interestingly, these tests reveal that most people have a far higher antibody response to a vaccine against Covid-19 than from a natural infection. The latest ONS results do not reveal the levels of antibodies people have.
‘Individual scores vary significantly. Anything over 50AU/mL counts as a positive test, but that level may not give great protection. This wide variation in antibody levels needs urgent investigation as we continue to return to offices and our pre-Covid lifestyles.
‘More research needs to be done, particularly for those people who don’t produce any antibodies at all, or just very low levels, even after two jabs. So far, this seems to remain the case even after receiving additional jabs of an alternative vaccine as well, although this is still being researched.
‘The latest antibody level tests – such as the one offered by London Medical Laboratory – use a finger-prick blood sample that people can take in the comfort of their own homes. The sample is then returned to the lab in a supplied envelope. Whether you are an employer wanting to ensure staff safety or simply someone who wants to confirm if you have developed antibodies, the new generation tests are highly accurate, quick and simple to carry out.
‘For the latest information about the level of protection vaccinations offer against Covid-19, see London Medical Laboratory’s new White Paper at: https://www.privatecoronavirustests.com/page/vaccine-immunity
