The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine may protect women more effectively and for longer against the virus than men, a new study found.
The study, published by the New England Journal of Medicine, analyzed the antibodies of 4,868 Israeli health care workers who had received both of their vaccination doses from December 2020 to July 2021.
After six months of study, results concluded that women 65 years or older had a higher antibody count than men in the same age range, at 46 percent compared to 37 percent.
“We analyzed the association of age, sex, and coexisting conditions with immunogenicity, both at the peak and at 6 months after receipt of the second dose,” researchers wrote.
“We found that antibody levels in both periods were higher in women than in men and decreased with age, as has been previously shown for the first month after receipt of the second dose.”
Researchers found that antibodies against the coronavirus fell for both men and women up to 80 days after receiving the second dose before slowing down.
The study additionally found the body had a stronger response to the virus in those who had received both doses of the vaccine compared to just one.
Dr. Ugur Sahin, BioNTech’s co-founder and CEO, said Monday that while booster shots are effective against current strains, including the contagious Delta variant, a new Pfizer vaccine may be developed next year to fight future mutations of the virus.
