But among nursing home residents, the product reduced the chances of getting infected by 80%! These are extremely promising initial results in one of the highest risk groups.
So you may be wondering, what are the advantages of using a monoclonal antibody like Bamlanivimab over a vaccine for preventing COVID-19?
The two vaccines currently in use had higher rates of protection (94-95%), although it’s likely that some groups may not experience such high rates of protection.
One important difference is that the vaccines require several weeks to reach maximum levels of protection and that requires both doses. The monoclonal antibody can provide protection very quickly after it is dosed, depending on how it is administered.
This might be particularly helpful in the event a household member becomes infected and the other household members could be exposed to that person. It could be used to protect them.
What about combining monoclonal antibodies with vaccines for extra protection against COVID- 19? There is concern that these two guys may not play nicely together in the sandbox. It seems possible that monoclonal antibodies could diminish the response to the vaccine.
It’s possible that they may work together if the dosing is spaced adequately apart. For example, a person who is fully vaccinated is put in a situation where they are at higher risk (e.g. a work assignment or positive COVID-19 case in their home). But we need more research to answer this question. Stay tuned; this could be a game changer!
BTW, I had my first dose of the Moderna vaccine on January 21st. Have you had or scheduled yours yet?