Vaccine recipients urged to avoid using antibody kits for self-testing
The Department of Medical Sciences has advised people against buying antibody testing kits to test themselves after getting a Covid-19 vaccine, as the result could be inaccurate and might cause misunderstanding.
“The department already has an immunity tracking system among vaccine recipients, so people need not perform the tests on themselves,” department director-general Dr Supphakit Siriluck said on Friday.
It is also the recommendation of the World Health Organization and the United States FDA, he said.
Supphakit added that the antibody efficient in preventing Covid-19 is called a neutralising antibody, while the antibody testing kits that are available in the market can only test general antibody and cannot accurately measure the level of neutralising antibody in the body.
“It is highly recommended to only use antibody testing kits that have passed the approval of the Food and Drug Administration and under supervision of doctors or medical professionals, as the testing must be further interpreted and analysed alongside the candidate’s symptoms and other test results,” he said.
“Using these test kits at home could result in misunderstanding or other problems related to communicable disease control.
“To stay safe from Covid-19 after getting vaccinated, people should continue wearing face mask, wash their hands regularly and maintain social distancing,” he recommended.
