Prognosis
Antibodies Waning? The Immune System Has a Backup Plan For That
- Moderna and Pfizer vaccines spur immune memory response: study
- Memory B cells can train antibodies to block virus variants
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Antibodies against the coronavirus wane over time, but the immune system has a backup plan that doesn’t rely on boosters, according to a study by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania, where technology for mRNA vaccines was developed.
Researchers at the university’s Perelman School of Medicine tracked 61 people for six months after immunization with mRNA vaccines. The team noted that antibodies gradually ebbed, but that the shots generated durable immune memory to SARS-CoV-2 in the form of B and T cells that increased over time to help ward off serious illness.