COVID-19 vaccines are very effective but this test can provide some certainty for those who need it.
COVID-19 vaccines are very effective in curbing the spread of the virus and most of its variants. The majority of people who’ve been vaccinated can rest easy, knowing that the vaccine has done its job and that they have significant protection against the infection. But, if for some reason you really want to know if the vaccine was effective, there’s a specific test that can help you get some peace of mind.
There’s a wide variety of antibody tests out there, but an Elisa test is the one most experts recommend for the most accuracy. When taking this test two weeks after you’ve been fully vaccinated, it will provide you with a glimpse of the antibodies in your system. An Elisa test is different than a typical antibody test, which would measure only antibodies that were developed when there was an infection, not a vaccine reaction.
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While an antibody test might be interesting in terms of wanting to know what’s going on in your body, experts discourage the majority of people from taking them.
Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist, spoke to the New York Times and explained why: “Most people shouldn’t even be worrying about this. I feel a little bit hesitant to recommend everybody getting tested, because unless they really understood what the test is doing, people might get this wrong sense of not having developed any antibodies.”
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For people who have to deal with an autoimmune disease, these tests can provide them with some peace of mind and can also give them protection in different situations, like having some leverage when being asked to return to in-person work.
Despite the differing opinions that there are on these tests, results may not be as conclusive as some would like them to be. “Positive results may also occur after a COVID-19 vaccination, but the clinical significance is not yet known, nor is it known how good this test is at detecting antibodies in those who have been vaccinated,” reads the Quest Diagnostics website, one of the makers of an FDA approved COVID-19 antibody test.
