Mix vaccines, Cauda: “No risks, but antibody counts are not needed”

Vaccine mix for the second dose? “Getting vaccinated with two different products is safe. But counting antibodies doesn’t explain everything.” This was stated by the virologist of the Gemelli Polyclinic, Roberto Cauda, ​​in an interview with the ‘Giornale’, explaining that “antibodies are produced against the Spike protein, which is a component of the virus. vaccine, a double response is created. The first is the antibody response, ie the one linked to the production of antibodies, which are calculated through a blood sample. The second is a cellular response, which is more difficult to calculate “. “In the organism there are competent immune cells – explains Cauda – They are those that learn to recognize the Spike and keep its memory. So if the antibodies are not enough, the organism is still able to protect itself from the disease by producing a sufficient response. “. And he does not recommend taking a serological test because “that test offers a partial view of the situation” as “some subjects may have an antibody count lower than 80, which is the ideal figure established by the WHO to be sure, but still have a good response of the organism thanks to the cells we were talking about “. As for heterologous vaccination,” in these days – clarifies the virologist – two studies have been carried out. The first, British, was published in the Lancet and was conducted on 800 volunteers. People were vaccinated with AstraZeneca and then boostered with Pfizer after 8 or 12 weeks. The second is Spanish, involved 600 people and appeared on specialized platforms. Both researches showed that the immune response, using two different vaccines, it may be higher “.