The paper that news article talks about is Attenuation of antibody titres during 3-6 months after the second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine depends on sex, with age and smoking as risk factors for lower antibody titres at 6 months.
Basically, a study in Japan of a few hundred people has been conducted, where they took their antibody titers shortly after their second Pfizer shot, then at 3 months, and now at 6 months.
This should probably be read in context of their Age and Smoking Predict Antibody Titres at 3 Months after the Second Dose of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine.
At 3 months, they found that older age correlated to a decrease in anti-body titers. They found that ever-smoking (vs never smoking) was the only significant differing factor. Ever-smoking was associated with a decrease in titers. While a gender difference was noted, it was explained by a different rate of smoking in the two genders. Adjusted for smoking, gender was not significantly associated with a change in titers (within an age group). Because of the smoking difference, women had higher titers than men.
However, in the 3-6 month time frame, the women's titers dropped faster than the men's. Indeed, neither age nor smoking was a significant factor this time, only gender.
Mentioned in the paper were factors associated (in other studies) with differences in titers immediately after the 2nd Pfizer dose.
Basically, a study in Japan of a few hundred people has been conducted, where they took their antibody titers shortly after their second Pfizer shot, then at 3 months, and now at 6 months.
This should probably be read in context of their Age and Smoking Predict Antibody Titres at 3 Months after the Second Dose of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine.
At 3 months, they found that older age correlated to a decrease in anti-body titers. They found that ever-smoking (vs never smoking) was the only significant differing factor. Ever-smoking was associated with a decrease in titers. While a gender difference was noted, it was explained by a different rate of smoking in the two genders. Adjusted for smoking, gender was not significantly associated with a change in titers (within an age group). Because of the smoking difference, women had higher titers than men.
However, in the 3-6 month time frame, the women's titers dropped faster than the men's. Indeed, neither age nor smoking was a significant factor this time, only gender.
Mentioned in the paper were factors associated (in other studies) with differences in titers immediately after the 2nd Pfizer dose.
Quote:Various factors, including older age, male sex, ethnicity, social condition, obesity, smoking habit, drinking habit, hypertension, cancer, and use of immunosuppressive drugs, have been reported to reduce the Ab titres obtained shortly after the second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine. In Japan, older age, male sex, and drinking habit are reported risk factors for a lower peak value of the Ab titre.