After 2nd Vaccine Antibodies

As a kidney transplant In the USA, whose responsibility is it to test me to find out if my body has made antibodies after the second covid vaccine? Also, how long do I have to wait to be tested for antibodies?

[LisaSnow]

Your doctor may not order it for you because the current antibody test was developed to pick up antibody formed after a real infection. The antibody that our body produced after vaccinations are for only the spike portion of the virus, making the existing antibody test unreliable. This is why some doctors are hesitant to prescribe the lab test because unreliable results can lead to unnecessary anxiety and incorrect clinical decisions or patient behavior. That being said, research is ongoing to develop more accurate and specific antibody test for Vaccine-associated antibodies. Those of us who have been vaccinated should just hold on tight and have faith that we are (more) protected until the new assay becomes available.

[Hidden in reply to LisaSnow]

I didn't know that and I thank you for the information.

[Kidney2014]

My neph/transplant hospital is doing its own antibody testing/research for patients after the second dose of the vaccine. My neph told me it’s a special test that regular labs such as Labcorp/Quest would not be able to do. I think John Hopkins and many other specialty hospitals are doing the research too. I have to wait two weeks after my Pfizer shot to do labs at the hospital. That’ll be this week!

[Kbressler NKF Peer Mentor NKF Ambassador]

Unless you sign up for a study being done you would be responsible. As an example I signed up for one through John Hopkins.

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador]

Just ask your doctor - PCP or nephrologist. I am having the antibody test done today. It's a simple blood test and you get the results the same day. I know there has been a lot of talk back and forth about transplant recipients may need a higher dose of the vaccine to build up the antibodies needed to prevent COVID, and build up the needed antibodies. I guess the studies being done will tell us the results of that. Maybe, just like some get severe COVID symptoms and some hardly even know they have it...some recipients build up the needed antibodies and some don't.I was told that there is only one antibody test - whether you had COVID or you were vaccinated. Is that true? I have no idea because the information out there is pretty scarce.

Ask you doctor about it? That is what I did.