As we approach August of 2024, it's crucial to reflect on the rapid evolution of the COVID-19 virus and its variants since the World Health Organization initially recommended vaccines targeting JN.1, such as Novavax's approach, to the CDC-approved KP.2 target, and now beyond KP.3 to KP.3.1.1,.with more in the line up behind that.
TACT...So, I've been reflecting a bit on your commenter who feels you don't spread enough love for the vaccines. There are a plethora of arguments here that support your position, but here is an interesting one. Take a look in the Supplementary Appendix of this New England Journal of Medicine article linked here.
Durability of XBB.1.5 Vaccines against Omicron Subvariants
Head on over to figure S2 entitled "Effectiveness of XBB.1.5 Vaccines as a function of time..."
(This is pg. 12 of the Appendix in my browser)
Note Graph A on Vaccine Efficacy "Infection By Age".
For the 65 and over cohort, vaccine effectiveness is ZERO at 18 weeks AND DIVING SHARPLY INTO NEGATIVE EFFICACY. That's right. Negative efficacy. The trend line does NOT approach the zero line of no efficacy asymptotically. It is diving into negative territory. Data after 18 weeks are not reported. This suggests strongly to me that in the 65 and over age cohort, the vaccines will INCREASE YOUR RISK OF REINFECTION AFTER 5 MONTHS.
Data were likely collected into negative efficacy of the vaccines based on the time period of the other graphs, but are not shown to obfuscate the situation.
Thank you for sharing this insightful point of this study. Unfortunately, the vaccines do not prevent infection and may in fact, enhance the odds of infection, within 3 to 6 months from the time of vaccination. They have helped protect against severe disease and death, but not in preventing persistent infections or other longer term health problems. Those are mitigated by preventing or at least reducing the amount of virus someone is exposed to and working to maintain optimal immune health. Optimal immune health is maintained by eating healthy, getting enough sleep and exercise, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding COVID infections. The use of S-protein targeted vaccines with an increasing pace of evolution is not working.
Here is a curiosity you might find of interest. It is known that a SARS-CoV-2 infection unbalances your immune system towards a Th2 response over the more desirable Th1 response (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/all.16210)
The supplement Cistanche deserticola appears to elicit a Th1 response.
Hi TACT...In your penultimate article, a correspondent wrote commenting that you may have been too dismissive of possible benefits of vaccination. But repeated vaccination also comes with a price---viral persistence.
On another point, I suspect these pseudovirus neutralization studies have limited utility in predicting outcomes at the clinical level.
TACT...So, I've been reflecting a bit on your commenter who feels you don't spread enough love for the vaccines. There are a plethora of arguments here that support your position, but here is an interesting one. Take a look in the Supplementary Appendix of this New England Journal of Medicine article linked here.
Durability of XBB.1.5 Vaccines against Omicron Subvariants
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2402779#ap1
Head on over to figure S2 entitled "Effectiveness of XBB.1.5 Vaccines as a function of time..."
(This is pg. 12 of the Appendix in my browser)
Note Graph A on Vaccine Efficacy "Infection By Age".
For the 65 and over cohort, vaccine effectiveness is ZERO at 18 weeks AND DIVING SHARPLY INTO NEGATIVE EFFICACY. That's right. Negative efficacy. The trend line does NOT approach the zero line of no efficacy asymptotically. It is diving into negative territory. Data after 18 weeks are not reported. This suggests strongly to me that in the 65 and over age cohort, the vaccines will INCREASE YOUR RISK OF REINFECTION AFTER 5 MONTHS.
Data were likely collected into negative efficacy of the vaccines based on the time period of the other graphs, but are not shown to obfuscate the situation.
Thank you for sharing this insightful point of this study. Unfortunately, the vaccines do not prevent infection and may in fact, enhance the odds of infection, within 3 to 6 months from the time of vaccination. They have helped protect against severe disease and death, but not in preventing persistent infections or other longer term health problems. Those are mitigated by preventing or at least reducing the amount of virus someone is exposed to and working to maintain optimal immune health. Optimal immune health is maintained by eating healthy, getting enough sleep and exercise, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding COVID infections. The use of S-protein targeted vaccines with an increasing pace of evolution is not working.
Here is a curiosity you might find of interest. It is known that a SARS-CoV-2 infection unbalances your immune system towards a Th2 response over the more desirable Th1 response (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/all.16210)
The supplement Cistanche deserticola appears to elicit a Th1 response.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464621004497)
Caveat emptor.
TACT...
Here is an interesting article that you may wish to add to your collection.
ACE2-Independent Alternative Receptors for SARS-CoV-2
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36423144/
Hi TACT...In your penultimate article, a correspondent wrote commenting that you may have been too dismissive of possible benefits of vaccination. But repeated vaccination also comes with a price---viral persistence.
On another point, I suspect these pseudovirus neutralization studies have limited utility in predicting outcomes at the clinical level.