By City News Service
Apr 1, 2021
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for people who have already had COVID-19 generates an immunologic response similar to that in people who receive the two-dose recommended sequence, according to a study released today by researchers at Cedars-Sinai.
The study suggests that the second dose may not be needed for people who have successfully recovered from a prior coronavirus infection, according to Dr. Susan Cheng, an associate professor of cardiology and director of Public Health Research at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai.
“Our findings extend those from smaller studies reported elsewhere and support a potential strategy of providing a single dose of vaccine to persons with a confirmed prior history of coronavirus infection, along with two doses for people not previously infected," Cheng said. “This approach could maximize the reach of a limited vaccine supply, allowing potentially millions more people to be vaccinated in the U.S. alone."