Nearly 70% of Britons have COVID antibodies
Aggressive vaccination rollout cited
• In a leap toward herd immunity that far exceeds the U.K. government’s projections, seven in 10 adult Britons now have antibodies against COVID-19.
Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 68 per cent of adults have some level of protection against the virus, either through vaccination or prior infection.
The level has risen by a third in a month, while infections have waned, meaning much of the increase can be credited to the vaccine rollout.
By contrast, modelling by the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies earlier in April suggested that less than 45 per cent of the population would be protected by June 21, when lockdown restrictions are set to be eased.
The ONS tracked more than 20,000 people to measure antibodies in their blood. Rates are highest among the oldest age groups, which were vaccinated first, and are most likely to have had two doses, it said.
About 87 per cent of all over-70s in England now have antibodies.
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said the data showed that “more and more of us are benefiting from protection the vaccine gives us against this awful disease.”
Speaking at the Downing Street news briefing this week, he said the presence of antibodies was a “measure of the protection that we have collectively built up right across the country.”
Officials suggested that the latest figures, for the week ending April 11, may even underestimate the levels of protection, because antibodies are not the only part of the immune system to respond to the vaccine.
Sarah Crofts, senior statistician for the COVID-19 infection survey, said: “There are other parts of the immune system that will also respond to vaccination that aren’t picked up in antibody tests.”
Prof, Jonathan Van Tam, the deputy chief medical officer for England, said it was not yet known how far antibodies protected against new variants.
He said he hoped that even if they were less able to combat infections, protection against severe disease would remain “much more solid.”
Ministers announced that they had secured 60 million more doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which will be used for booster jabs to protect against new variants this fall.
Trials are now examining “mix and match” combinations of different vaccines in order to establish the best approach.
Enough doses have been secured to cover the whole country, but the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization has yet to decide how the program will be rolled out.
Officials said the government was preparing for a booster program “based on clinical need” to protect the most vulnerable before winter.
This comes as new data from Public Health England show that one dose of a vaccine reduces household transmission of the virus by up to half.
Hancock said: “Our vaccination program is bringing back our freedom, but the biggest risk to that progress is the risk posed by a new variant.
“We’re working on our plans for booster shots, which are the best way to keep us safe and free while we get this disease under control.
“These further 60 million doses will be used, alongside others, as part of our booster progra from later this year, so we can protect the progress that we’ve all made.”
Almost two thirds of adults have now had their first vaccine, and a quarter have had both doses.
Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, said: “We are doing everything we can to make sure the most vulnerable are protected from COVID-19 now and in the future.
“Our brilliant vaccines taskforce has secured an extra 60 million doses of the Pfizer/biontech vaccines to support our booster program, which will be developed in line with the advice of our experts.
“In the meantime, we are making great progress with our vaccination rollout and I urge everybody to get their vaccines as soon as they are eligible.”
Britain has secured access to 517 million doses of eight vaccines in total.
OUR VACCINATION PROGRAM IS BRINGING BACK OUR FREEDOM.