Pfizer vaccine second dose has ‘sweet spot’ after eight weeks, UK scientists say

Longer schedule led to more Covid antibodies and higher proportion of helper T-cells, supporting immune memory - researchers

• See all our coronavirus coverage

An eight-week gap between the first and second doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is a sweet spot" when it comes to generating strong immune response while protecting the UK population against the Delta variant of coronavirus, scientists have said.

In a study funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), researchers have found that when compared with a four-week gap, a 10-week interval between the doses produces higher antibody levels, as well as a higher proportion of a group of infection-fighting cells in the body known as helper" T-cells.