Pfizer/ BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine gives partial protection against Omicron - Bloomberg

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• The research head of a laboratory at the Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa has termed the ability of newly detected Omicron variant to escape the vaccine and infection-driven immunity against COVID-19 as “robust but not complete,” Bloomberg reports.

• In what could be the first lab-based testing on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against the variant, the researchers have found that Omicron could partially evade the protection generated by Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech (NASDAQ:BNTX) COVID-19 vaccine. In an online presentation on Tuesday, Alex Sigal said that booster shots could still enhance the protection.

• Sigal and the team have evaluated the blood samples of COVID-19 vaccine recipients to determine the antibody levels required to neutralize or block the virus.

• Amid fears that the new variant could threaten vaccine-led immunity, financial markets sank late last month. With uncertainty over its virulence, the established vaccine makers such as Pfizer (PFE)/ BioNTech (BNTX), Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), and AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) rushed to test their COVID-19 shots against the variant.

Comments

[khlim115]

Here is the latest on PFE boosters. www.cnbc.com/... I thought PFE said that the third shot completely neutralized Omicron. The CEO is now predicting the fourth booster may be needed sooner that thought.

[kata]

@khlim115 cha-ching

[In Cog Neato]

@khlim115 Your link didn't work. Try this one:

www.cnbc.com/...

“When we see real-world data, will determine if the omicron is well covered by the third dose and for how long. And the second point, I think we will need a fourth dose,” Bourla told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”

[SSAuser133]

@khlim115
CEO's comment is speculation at this point based upon essentially no (public) data.
To me a 3rd COVID vaccine dose was not surprising. There are some other common vaccination schedules for specific pathogens that include 3 doses (e.g. hepatitis A, hep B, h flu, meningococcus, HPV), but none has yet required 4 doses. Only time will tell if COVID would be the first.

In this context seasonal (annual) flu is not caused by a single pathogen but hundreds of genetically (& functionally immunologically) distinct ones.

www.cdc.gov/...

[HoboWithaShotgun]

COVID experts in Norway say that Omicron variant being highly transmissible but “milder” could prove to be the “best scenario” because it would boost “natural immunity” and bring the end of the pandemic closer.

The country’s state epidemiologist Frode Forland was responding to news of the biggest Omicron outbreak outside of South Africa, which occurred at an Oslo Christmas party.

“As many as 120 people who attended the Louise Restaurant and Bar on the night of November 26th have now tested positive for coronavirus, about half of whom have screened positive for omicron, with 13 of those proven to have the variant in sequencing,” reports the Telegraph.

Oslo infectious disease doctor Tine Ravlo revealed, “They have symptoms like fever, cough, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, but for now, none of them has become severely ill, and none of them have been treated in hospital.”

This is positive news according to Forland because it clearly indicates the variant “would be both very mild and very transmissible.”

“That is the hope. That is the best scenario we can have,” he said. “That it’s getting milder, most people will get it, and they will get a natural immunity.”

“It might be that it has now replicated and mutated so many times that this is the optimal position from the virus’ point of view, to spread widely and not kill the hosts,” added Forland.

“That’s what we’ve seen with other diseases beforehand. And of course, then it gets into more like an endemic phase,” he concluded.

The position of experts in Norway is mirrored by the CEO of South Africa’s largest private healthcare network, who asserted that the Omicron variant is “so mild” that it “may signal the end of COVID-19.”

According to Richard Friedland, chief executive officer of Netcare Ltd., the Omicron variant is “highly contagious, but doesn’t cause severe disease. That’s what happened with Spanish flu.”

“So I actually think there is a silver lining here and this may signal the end of Covid-19,” he added.

Expect the corporate media, which relies on gigantic ad spends from Big Pharma and high ratings from prolonging fears over COVID, to completely ignore all these findings.

[khlim115]

@HoboWithaShotgun This is a great news until the next variant that can evade the immunity from prior infection emerges. Remember all immunity (natural or vaccinated) is transitory.

[Ramy Taraboulsi, CFA]

@HoboWithaShotgun Love your last sentence: "Expect the corporate media, which relies on gigantic ad spends from Big Pharma and high ratings from prolonging fears over COVID, to completely ignore all these findings."

I think it is very true; Thanks for sharing.

Coincidentally, this is very consistent with the thesis of the article that I just published yesterday:
seekingalpha.com/...

[eduso]

Well, 6 vaccinated persons studied... seriously?
Read insighst from epidemiologist:

yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/...

[eduso]

About 25 samples used. Statistical relevance?

[MathMan1959]

@eduso

Statistically insignificant.

[kata]

i hear the cleveland clinic did a huge study that postulated that Viagra reduced the incidence of Alzheimer’s and they determined that it did by an amazing 69%. they weren’t the first to find this remarkable outcome but they did a large double blind test with a large group and it seems to work. what will that do for Pfe, is it still under patent?

[Chihawk Research]

@kata So if you do something memorable the mind stays young? Makes sense.

[In Cog Neato]

@kata Viagra is off patent and there are several generics on the market who can benefit if this use is approved: Teva, Mylan, Apotex, Amneal,
Macleods Pharmaceuticals Limited, Camber Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and probably many others manufacturers and distributors.

[kata]

@In Cog Neato So it's more a question of who it hurts, lol

[khlim115]

So far the body count has remained relatively stable. If the vaccines can protect you from severe disease or death, that is a huge advantage in fighting this pandemic.

[Littlebeef2]

@khlim115 the pandemic is fake. Look at Florida. It’s about control, nwo, medical tyranny.

[Pattyt]

Just stop the vaccines .... we don’t need them 🙄

[StrangeStock]

@Pattyt please go ahead and be our guinea pig there. Let us know how it goes.

[Littlebeef2]

@achillezzz Vax are the sheep. PureBlood are still people.

[Mason A]

Pretty much as expected. Omicron causes an almost complete loss of neutralizing ability for two doses of Pfizer while those with previous infection + vaccination hold up relatively well. Booster will likely look similar to that.

More data from another lab just released as well, which looks more promising than this.

twitter.com/...

But the assay quoted in this article used live virus instead of a pseudovirus so I'd lean more on the results from the live virus.

[Disciple5]

Any protection would be better than what the vaccines provided against the original virus and delta!

[StrangeStock]

@Disciple5 looking forward to your personal results on this. When you get infected let us know!

[Littlebeef2]

@achillezzz it’s cold and flu season, duh. Did you see the cruise ship full of Vaccinated sheep? Covid outbreak. Are you paying attention now?

[In Cog Neato]

@Littlebeef2 And all with asymptotic or weak symptoms. It's looking like the vaccines are less effective at preventing infection by omicron, but Delta is still the biggest threat.

[Fooly Finance]

Nobody cares if it can evade protection against infection--Delta already does that. The only metric that is relevant is the risk level of severe Covid leading to hospitalization and death.

This global obsession with infections and transmission rates is deep into the realm of insanity and illogical, considering Covid is now an endemic disease which will persist in perpetuity like Influenza and the common cold (also a coronavirus).

All available data tells us Covid is no longer a serious disease, thanks to vaccines and treatments such as monoclonal antibodies and new anti-virals. These medicines take the risk level of Covid-19 well below that of the seasonal flu, about 4 to 7 times less deadly and severe (hospitalization rate) than the flu.

The initial Omicron data mirrors that of the common cold (not surprising considering their relation as fellow coronaviruses), with the primary difference being transmissibility. I don't worry about a sniffle and runny nose, and neither should you.

[MathMan1959]

@Fooly Finance

Well said. The zero Covid crowd needs to be ignored.

[Nomar24]

“Partial” protection? Like 1%, or 50%, or what? These people don’t know. And these boosters “could” still enhance... 🤣

[Ramy Taraboulsi, CFA]

@Nomar24 According to the paper it is 1/40 or 2.5% protection compared to the original Wuhan, which was already less than 100%.

[WWG1_WGA_Q]

@Nomar24 they're a joke on their efficacy protection. The mRNA are an experiment gone wrong imo. They'lll continue pumping those worthless mRNA into the willing guinea pigs over and over smh.

Cheers.
SuperNova

[Trapping Value]

@Ramy Taraboulsi, CFA It is a 40 Fold lower level of antibody neutralization level.
It does not make any claims about disease protection.
Disease protection is mediated by
1) neutralizing Ab
2) non-neutralizing Ab
3) T cell mediated immunity (which should be almost completely intact).

[cachinga]

They should all be honest and say partial protection.

[Littlebeef2]

@cachinga habitual liars cannot be honest

[handy_andy_at]

So blame the vaccines lack of efficacy on the very virus it is suppose to protect people from......

[Trapping Value]

@handy_andy_at We get 1 new flu shot every year. For Tetanus Toxoid you might get 7-12 shots in your lifetime. We might need more than 2 shots for COVID. Nothing unexpected about it.

[handy_andy_at]

@Trapping Value what other vaccines require that many shots? And how many more shots are they going to prompt the people to get? Whats the long term effects of this new technology? Finally, why are no covid cases classified as partionally vaccinated cases? This is totally unexpected. Its why there is so debate. No one will ever appropriately answer those questions - ever.

[Trapping Value]

@handy_andy_at My comment above literally answers your first two questions.
If you have issues with "new technology", which is not new, 2017 already 8 different mRNA studies on the way, www.nature.com/...

Then consider
1) Astrazeneca Vaccine based on ancient technology
2) JNJ Vaccine based on ancient technology
3) Sputnik based on ancient technology
4) Covaxin based on really ancient technology

[Chihawk Research]

Ok. Now what?
At the moment BNT can recommend boosting with the current vaccine and using the boosted vaccine for current antibodies. But I can't see accepting this 40 fold reduction level longer term.

www.ahri.org/...

A new vaccine is needed. Sahin has said that would miss the first wave of Omicron, and I think he is right.

www.youtube.com/... (0:25/ 1:59)

But once you make an Omicron vaccine do you stay with the original or make a full pivot to Omicron? Gottlieb seems to want the original:

www.youtube.com/...

And all of this feeds into the bivalent approach. In such case there is no pivot and protection against older and newer virus forms will remain. If Omicron crowds everything out and is very mild we would not need a vaccine. But absent that hopeful or anti-boost case, those wanting a boost will chose a bivalent in my opinion. In fact, if Moderna announces a bivalent approach I expect booster vaccination numbers to fall after that. The vulnerable might choose the current boost, but most of those wanting a boost may wait for the bivalent. Of course this assumes the most pro-boost have already boosted.

Most important, if the pandemic continues thereafter, there is little reason to take a single valent boost if a bivalent boost is available. By Fall 2022 bivalents are likely to dominate whatever size the Covid booster market remains.

[WWG1_WGA_Q]

@Chihawk Research all the mRNA are doomed for eventual failure my friend, take off your rose-colored glasses please.
$NVAX Novavax protein subunit vaccine with Matrix-M has this, as they'll dominate once they're global after all the EUA'S /W.H.O. approvals.
https://www.novavax.com

Cheers.
SuperNova

[khanjar24]

@Chihawk Research
I agree, we need a new variant booster and we need to mandate it yesterday!

[Fierce Beast]

Here is the author of the study twitter.com/... There are a few results:
1. Omicron still uses ACE2
2. There is a very large drop in neutralization of Omicron by BNT162b2 immunity relative to ancestral virus
3. Omicron escape from BNT162b2 neutralization is incomplete. Previous infection + vaccination still neutralizes

[bulgebracketgang]

@Fierce Beast Were you able to access the manuscript on his website? Can't find it for some reason

[Chihawk Research]

@bulgebracketgang
It's here:

www.ahri.org/...

[bulgebracketgang]

@Chihawk Research Great thanks

[edaskew]

40 fold reduction vs the parent strain, which had titers over 300, and was boosted by at least 7 times with the 3rd shot. We're probably talking about a titer of around 50 for those boosted. Go get your booster. Still, there will be a lot of break through infections but I would still expect mild disease for the most part. The FDA needs to get their A$$ in gear on Paxlovid.

[Joe de Mencia]

@edaskew if this thing is as mild as they say, what's the point of boosters?

[Ramy Taraboulsi, CFA]

@Zhou Bi Den Some governments (e.g. Canada) has a huge stock of vaccines that will go bad if they are not used. They need to give them out, and boosters are the only way to do that. I think this is the key point of boosters; don't know if this is the case for the US, but I guess it has to be.

Is this "Cover Your Anatomy, CYA"?

[cachinga]

@Ramy Taraboulsi, CFA It's freeeeeeee!

[208Pb]

There is insufficient info here to make any relevant conclusion

[hamphouse]

@208Pb Very true. They should have put numbers on the level of protection. Otherwise it's worthless.

[Finding Your Retirement]

@hamphouse it's "robust" don't you trust the science? fauci himself said he is the science

[VaruC]

@208Pb except the market doesn’t care about sufficient data..

[PriceVsValue]

Johnson & Johnson is the only one that works 🤷

[Ramy Taraboulsi, CFA]

@PriceVsValue The Chinese ones also work very effectively against Omicron...

[SSAuser133]

@Ramy Taraboulsi, CFA
Reference or data source?

[Ramy Taraboulsi, CFA]

@SSAuser133 I just published an article about Omicron today, and it is linked to a blog that has the details of my research.

Please see
seekingalpha.com/...
and

news.yahoo.com/...

[firsTraveler]

lol

[BuySellHoldFinance]

Current vaccines don't work - That's what we've been saying!

[khanjar24]

@BuySellHoldFinance
You mean the mandated vaccines that people are losing their jobs over not having don't matter?

Then... this... that...