It’s been almost two and a half years since my first COVID-19 vaccine — eight months since my most recent booster — and my COVID-19 antibodies seem to still be doing their thing. I know this because, after having nine test tubes of blood drawn, the lab results are back and I’m looking good — a robust antibody response.
The lab work was part of the COVER-MS study, run by the iConquerMS research group. The study is analyzing the possible side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine in people with multiple sclerosis, including which reactions were most common and who was most likely to experience them. So far, more than 1,600 people have participated, and I’m one of them.
About 300 of us are in a subgroup that donates blood samples every six months for two years to check our antibody levels and measure our immune response to COVID-19 vaccines. Antibodies are proteins in the blood that will fight SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. And I have them — a lot of them.
My test results were positive
Two blood tests were run. One looked for the presence of IgG antibodies, which would indicate a recent or prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. That test was positive, as it should’ve been, because I had a mild case of COVID-19 in February. The other test measured the level of antibodies that would be in my bloodstream either due to a prior SARS-CoV2 infection or as the result of a COVID-19 vaccination. A reading of 1 or greater is positive. My level, two weeks ago, was above 100, indicating a robust vaccine response, even though it’s been eight months since I received my last COVID-19 booster. That was the same level as when I was tested back in October.
I was also tested in June 2021 by my neurologist. At that time, I’d only received two COVID-19 shots, and my test showed a level of a whopping 2,500 units per milliliter (U/mL). According to my test report from LabCorp, a result of 0.8 U/mL or higher indicates the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
How much of this matters?
As far as I can tell, my antibody levels have been high since I received my first vaccination. But it’s not known how long a COVID-19 vaccination is effective. It’s also not known how robust is really robust.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the tests I’ve had can help identify people who may have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, but they can’t tell if you have any protection against becoming infected. That’s the same thing the FDA was telling people two years ago! By now, you’d think they’d have a better idea.
What’s next for me?
I just had my yearly physical with my primary care physician (PCP). A week earlier, I had my annual visit with my neurologist. My neuro thinks herd immunity has finally taken hold, protecting us naturally. She says it’s up to me to decide whether another booster would be beneficial. My PCP agrees about herd immunity and suggests that, even though I qualify for one, I should put off getting another booster until fall, when I could get it at the same time as my annual flu shot. By then, she says, a booster should be available covering the newest SARS-CoV-2 virus strains. I think I’ll follow that advice.
Coincidentally, a group of MS experts in Europe this month issued a list of more than 50 guidelines on how people with MS can safely and effectively receive all kinds of vaccines. The MS News Today story about this notes that “vaccines are not linked to an increased relapse or disability progression risk in MS patients, regardless of DMT [disease-modifying therapy] use, and ‘the benefit of immunization greatly outweighs any potential risks.’”
That’s my nonexpert opinion, too.
(A version of this post first appeared as my column on the MS News Today website.)
(Image by swiftsciencewriting from Pixabay)
