Posted on 05/25/2021 5:24:35 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Pharmaceutical company executives have been hinting for months that booster shots will be necessary to maintain the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. A study of such boosters is already underway. But the companies that stand to profit from these shots shouldn’t get to unilaterally determine the need for a repeat mass vaccination campaign without scientific questioning. Moreover, focus groups among the vaccine-hesitant have shown that talk of boosters can decrease the likelihood of people getting a vaccine now.
Bodies of scientific research indicate that your immune system should offer you long-lived protection from reinfection if you’ve been vaccinated, even with the emergence of more infectious variants.
I’m going to take you through that science so you don’t have to worry. And so that you can help doctors like me advocate for industry and public officials to devote their efforts to more important pursuits, like making sure other countries have enough vaccines to end this pandemic.
In brief, there are two major arms of the immune system: B cells (which produce disease-fighting antibodies) and T cells, which attack specific parts (called “epitopes”) of a dangerous pathogen. T cells are divided into two types, specially CD4 cells (“helper” T cells) and CD8 cells (“cytotoxic” T cells). Each of these arms, once stimulated by infection or vaccine, makes “memory” banks which — when working properly — come roaring back to attack the virus and protect you from getting sick.
With that in mind, here are seven reasons why you shouldn’t have to worry about getting a booster.
COVID-19 vaccines work very well in the real world. And T cell responses from vaccination are robust against even the most potent variants. Antibody responses from vaccination may be slightly lower against certain COVID-19 variants, but T cell immunity has been shown to be unperturbed by the variants’ notorious mutations in the spike protein. T cell responses after mRNA vaccines (Moderna or Pfizer) maintained their strength against different variants, including P.1 Brazil variant, B.1.1.7 UK variant, B.1.351 South Africa variant and the CA.20.C California variant. A few mutations to the spike protein (even as many as 13) cannot knock out such a robust T cell response.
Vaccines help you form antibody-producing memory B cells
In one study, 12 volunteers who had never had COVID-19, and were fully vaccinated with two mRNA vaccine shots, underwent biopsies of their lymph nodes — where antibody-producing memory B cells are stored in places called “germinal centers.” These biopsies showed that memory B cells were formed in response to the vaccine. And they increased in concentration three, four, six and seven weeks after the first shot.
Of course, antibody levels wane over time. That’s a normal adaption of the immune system, otherwise, antibodies from multiple infections seen in the past would clog up our blood. But with COVID-19, strong memory B cells were detected in individuals six and eight-months after infection.
She means this summer. You probably won’t need one this summer.
I COULD use some more ‘memory cells’ but I’m still not getting the jab.
Also, ‘Hey, Monica! ‘Boost’ THIS!”
They’ll find a reason for vaccines this fall.
They are not going to pass on this cash cow now that they’ve learned how profitable it is.
And that’s just the pharm industry.
The politicians are not going to let go of their control over us that easily either. They’ll be pushing for masking, lockdowns, and vax passports again to try to control what we do, where we go, and with whom we do it..
It’s looking more and more like the annual flu shot...
I wonder how the J&J long term immunity compares with the mRNA vaxes.
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel had a similar prediction to Bourla’s, telling Axios in an email that he would recommend booster shots be administered starting in September to those who received their second doses in January. Bancel noted that the first wave of Americans to be vaccinated included high-risk populations such as the elderly and health care workers.
“I think as a country we should rather be two months too early, than two months too late with outbreaks in several places,” Bancel said.
Moderna: The initial data is from an ongoing Phase 2 study in which three strategies for boosting neutralizing titers in previously vaccinated participants are being evaluated: mRNA-1273.351, a booster candidate based on the B.1.351 variant first identified in the Republic of South Africa, mRNA-1273.211, a multivalent booster candidate which combines a 50-50 mix of mRNA-1273, Moderna’s authorized vaccine against ancestral strains, and mRNA-1273.351 in a single vaccine, and a 50 µg booster dose of mRNA-1273. Today’s update includes preliminary data two weeks following administration of a booster dose of mRNA-1273 or mRNA-1273.351. Evaluation of additional samples collected at later timepoints after the booster, the Company’s multivalent vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273.211, and a lower dose of mRNA-1273.351 are ongoing and data is expected shortly.
Participants in the Phase 2 study were tested for pseudovirus neutralization (PsVN) titers prior to boosting approximately 6 to 8 months after their primary vaccination series. Although titers versus the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 virus remained high, with 37 of 40 participants having detectable titers, titers against the variants of concern (B.1.351 and P.1) were much lower, with approximately half of participants having titers below the assay limit of quantification prior to boosting. Two weeks after receiving either mRNA-1273 or mRNA-1273.351, PsVN titers were boosted in all participants and all variants tested. Following boost, geometric mean titers (GMT) against the wild-type, B.1.351, and P.1 variants increased to levels similar to or higher than the previously reported peak titers against the ancestral (D614G) strain following primary vaccination1.
But you may need one for COVID-20.
The Rand Paul Rule applies. Be it through actual infection or vaccination, unless there are large numbers of “immune” people getting infected again, there is no reason to get a “booster”.
The T-cell response diminishes with the years, but N-acetylcysteine promotes better function. NAC also assists in fighting infections upon first contact.
The FDA after decades of otc sales, has in it’s infinite wisdom, decided to pull this supplement from the market—it’s now to be considered a drug.
Here’s a link from an additional source to Doctor Gandhi’s article that doesn’t require a subscription. It even has some “pictures” that may help our resident anti-vaxxers understand (that’s a joke folks, lighten up).
Because the first shot will likely kill you. 😆
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