New research clearly shows that cancer patients experience a faster decline in immunity after full COVID-19 immunization than in he althy subjects. According to the researchers, this argument supports the regular administration of booster doses to these people, according to the Israeli Times of Israel website, based on a publication in the prestigious scientific journal The Lancet.
A study by an Israeli research center, described in The Lancet, showed that people with cancer who came for vaccination with the third dose of Pfizer's preparation had significantly lower levels of antibodies than he althy people of the same age who received the first two doses of the vaccine at about the same time. As reported, the level of antibodies in cancer patients averaged as little as 24 AU / ml, while in he althy subjects it averaged 159 AU / ml.
28.2 percent cancer patients have lost protection against Covid-19 due to low antibody levels. Meanwhile, in the case of he althy people, this number was 1.4%.
After the administration of an additional dose of the vaccine, 69 of 72 cancer patients included in the study showed a rapid increase in the amount of antibodies, while in 144 he althy subjects this increase was noted in all of them.
One month after the booster dose, cancer patients averaged 1,887 AU / mL (considered strong protection), while he althy subjects averaged 3,370 AU / mL.
"The results of these studies clearly show that in people undergoing oncological treatment, the level of antibodies decreases faster than in others, and that in these people regular booster doses make sense" - said the author of the study, Dr. Hagai Ligumski, an oncologist from Suraski Medical Center in Tel Aviv.
The scientist and his colleagues intend to repeat the study soon to see if the levels of antibodies in his participants remain six months after the booster dose.