It is tempting to reach out to any hope when we are in a pandemic. Especially with the uncertainty of Omicron floating around us. However, in this instance the story has impeccable credentials coming from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). In a nutshell, their research (link below) suggests vaccination and breakthrough give ‘super immunity’. But does this speak to an eventual end game?
The Study Was Small But Appears Impeccable
The study appeared in the Journal of American Medical Association on December 16, 2021. The Oregon Health & Science University researchers collected blood samples from 52 university employees who had Pfizer vaccinations.
1… Of these, 26 had mild breakthrough infections after their vaccination.
2… 10 were Delta, 9 were non-Delta, the other 7 were unknown variants.
Tests on the blood samples revealed the 26 breakthrough employees had ‘super immunity’ compared to those with full vaccinations. In fact, their antibodies were as much as a 1,000% times more effective according to NBC Chicago.
But Does This Really Speak to an Eventual End Game?
‘You can’t get a better immune response than this,’ comments Dr. Fikadu Tafesse, senior author and assistant professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at OHSU. ‘These vaccines are very effective against severe disease.’
The blood samples were taken over the period January 31, 2021 and August 18, 2021 in other words before Omicron. None the less, the researchers anticipate a similar outcome in the case of Omicron after full Pfizer vaccination.
‘I think this speaks to an eventual end game,’ says co-author Dr. Marcel Curlin, associate professor of medicine at OHSU School of Medicine. ‘It doesn’t mean we’re at the end of the pandemic, but it points to where we’re likely to land. Once you’re vaccinated and then exposed to the virus, you’re probably going to be reasonably well-protected from future variants.’
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