Dr Manal Mohammed, Lecturer in Medical Microbiology, wrote an article for The Conversation following the announcement of the Pfizer vaccine rollout about what to expect in the next few months.
In the article, she wrote: “The UK has become the first country to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for widespread use. The government has ordered 40 million doses and the first batch of 800,000 doses is expected to be shipped from Belgium – where the vaccine is being made – in the next couple of days. It will be enough to immunise 400,000 people (two doses per person)”.
However, she warned that people shouldn’t stop COVID safety measures just yet, and said: “A report from The Royal Society, the world’s oldest independent scientific academy, says that restrictions are likely to remain in place for some months yet – maybe even a year.
“When you get the COVID vaccine, you should not expect immediate protection against infection. White blood cells known as B lymphocytes first need to detect the antigen in the vaccine and then generate specific antibodies against it. If you get exposed to coronavirus, these antibodies latch onto the virus and neutralise it.”
She added: “The response from your immune system, generated by the B lymphocytes, is known as the primary response and it takes about two weeks to kick in. So, for two weeks after getting the jab, you are still at risk of getting ill from COVID.”
Since publication, the article has been republished 89 times, including by Metro.
Read the full article on The Conversation’s website.
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