How Long Can Your Covid Vaccine Protect You? Know Here

The constant reports of new variants have made it extremely critical to keep a check on genetic mutations of coronavirus as they are a matter of concern.

Outlook Web Bureau

Updated on: 3 June 2021 7:48 am

Amid the third Covid wave scare, India is vaccinating lakhs of people every day. According to reports, the cumulative number of vaccine doses have crossed 21.58 crore. Currently, India has approved three coronavirus vaccines – Covishield, Covaxin, and Sputnik V and a person is fully vaccinated after receiving both the Covid shots.

The constant reports of new variants have made it extremely critical to keep a check on genetic mutations of coronavirus as they are a matter of concern. According to the American Food and Drug Administration, false-negative test results can appear due to the genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 that are routinely generated, So far, the central government has denied such concerns of failure of RT-PCR testing.

According to the World Health Organisation’s Dr Katherine O’Brien, after the first dose, a good immune response kicks in about two weeks. But the immune response boost boosts after the second dose, making a person’s immunity even stronger.

How long does the immunity last after getting vaccinated?

There is no clarity on this as of now, however, Dr Katherine said, “We are following people who have received vaccinations to find out whether their immune response is durable over time and the length of time for which they are protected against the disease. So we are really going to have to wait for time to pass to see just how long these vaccines last.”

According to reports, the two-dose of Pfizer vaccine remains effective for at least six months or even longer. Similarly, two shots of the Moderna vaccine were also found to have antibodies six months. With the Covishield vaccine being administered in India, the immune responses can persist for a year or more.

With new variants being detected across the globe, scientists suggest that a third booster shot is required after the two-dose.

Bharat Biotech, the company that manufactures Covaxin in India, has already started trials for booster doses. The booster dose is to be given six months after the participants had received their second dose in the trial, which had taken place between September and October 2020.