Mosialos – The third dose of vaccine kills Omicron

The third dose of the vaccine seems to broaden the response and neutralize the Omicron variant according to study data shared through his personal Facebook account by LSE Health Policy Professor Elias Mosialos.

As Prof. Mosialos points out, with the third dose, antibodies are produced that neutralize variants of the original strain, such as Delta and Omicron.

Elias Mosialos calls on people to be vaccinated as he states: “Vaccination gives us a lead against the virus and the third dose is a free time card for the renewal of immunity. Make an appointment and be careful.”

Is what mainly concerns us with the advent of the omicron variant, knowing that it is more contagious than delta?

Two things: if it causes a more serious illness and if we are protected by the vaccines we have already given. We do not yet have official findings from detailed studies on the clinical picture in the unvaccinated to compare it with the delta.

But there are several studies that study the most burning issue for all of us: protection after vaccination. And I will refer to a recent paper (doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.14.21267755) which argues that the third dose of mRNA vaccine does not simply increase the systemic ability to respond. The data show that the third dose of the vaccine appears to enhance the response and neutralize the micron variant.

And I will focus on the analysis of the collected samples from vaccinated versus those who did 3 doses. The attached graph shows a comparison of the neutralization potential against the original strain on the X-axis and the delta (left) or omicron (right) on the Y-axis. The white dots represent the results from blood samples collected from recently vaccinated persons while the black squares represent the samples analyzed of those who recently took the booster third dose.

What are we seeing here?

We have a dashed black line between the white dots indicating the neutralizing ability against the virus after the initial vaccination, and a solid black line between the black dots referring to the neutralizing ability after the booster dose.

We therefore see that regardless of whether the vaccines were designed to induce the production of antibodies against the spike of the original strain, the response of the antibodies after amplification is fundamentally different from before. That is, the third dose does not simply increase the level of antibodies present. These data show that the third dose produces antibodies that neutralize variants of the original strain, such as delta and omicron.

And let’s say a couple of more things.

1. This observation does not demonstrate any new biological, unexpected, mechanism. The mechanisms of immunity are extremely complex and have evolved in parallel with the threats to the body. Let us simply say, once again, that whether we are protected or not, it is not only the antibody titer and a static measurement that matter, but also the mechanisms that activate cellular memory.

2. These results are encouraging, and of course it remains to be proven by measurements in patients and carriers of the micron.

And to close with a chat for those who hesitate. Vaccination gives us an edge over the virus and the third dose is a free immunity renewal timeline. Make an appointment and be careful.