Maybe the time of day when someone gets the coronavirus vaccine plays a role in how many antibodies will be made in their body. It is possible, as according to a new American-British scientific study, people who are vaccinated in the afternoon usually seem to have a better immune response than those who are vaccinated in the morning. This finding, however, needs to be confirmed by other research.
Researchers at Harvard and Oxford University, led by Dr. Elizabeth Clerman of the Harvard Medical School and the Department of Neurophysiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, published their findings in the journal Biological Journal antibodies to nearly 2.800 healthcare professionals in the UK who had been vaccinated with Pfizer / BioNTech or AstraZeneca.
The antibody response after vaccination was found to be generally higher in all those vaccinated after noon. Those with the Pfizer vaccine, women and younger adults also had a stronger immune response.
"Our observational study provides solid evidence that the time of day affects the immune response to vaccination, and these findings may be taken into account to improve vaccine efficacy," said Clermann. to vaccinate someone, no matter what time they do it.
Previous studies had found that in the case of the flu vaccine in the elderly, antibody levels were subsequently higher in those who had been vaccinated in the morning. Clerman estimated that "the vaccine Covid-19 "and the flu have different mechanisms of action and the immune response can vary considerably depending on whether the immune system recognizes the pathogen from previous infections, such as the flu, or whether it is exposed to a new virus such as the coronavirus."
He added, "We need to reiterate our findings and develop a better understanding of the underlying physiology of Covid-19 and the body's reaction to the vaccine, before advising people who want to take an extra dose, such as the elderly and the immunocompromised, to schedule their vaccination in the afternoon. "The new study is a first step in demonstrating the importance of daylight saving time." He also stressed that "if antibody levels are higher when people are vaccinated in the afternoon, then the side effects may also be greater at that time."