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New on the bivalent BA.5 vaccine booster immune response in people
No better neutralizing antibody response to BA.5 than the original vaccine (WT)
biorxiv.org/content/10.110
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"The findings may be indicative of immunological imprinting"
Bottom line: Until more data are available, regard the bivalent booster as equivalent to a booster which augments and broadens immunity, without specific anti-BA.5 properties.
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In August, I previously expressed concern that this would be the case with the BA.5 bivalent booster
erictopol.substack.com/p/the-imminent
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Remember how vital the original boosters were to defend against Delta, Omicron, BA.2 and BA.5—reducing deaths and hospitalizations—as reviewed here.
erictopol.substack.com/p/a-booster-is
It all still applies. That's why they will help vs BQ.1.1 & the new variants with more immune evasion
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Don't forget how well Singapore just withstood its XBB wave, a variant akin to BQ.1.1 with extreme immune evasion, with high levels of vaccines and original boosters (double the US %)
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Eric Topol
@EricTopol
This is very good news.
The XBB variant wave in Singapore is in descent
moh.gov.sg
XBB and BQ.1.1 are 2 of the most immune evasive variants and Singapore was the first country to experience a wave induced by one of them, now letting up
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I wrote an addendum to contextualize the first human data for the BA.5 bivalent booster. The conclusion that a booster is your best shot to add protection vs new variants (BQ.1.1, in particular) stands
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No. It’s India main and one of top UK vaccines. Look at how those countries have been decimated by wave after wave. We need a completely new typ of nasal vax and then n meantime: 
and stay outdoors. It works with every variant and disease. 
and stay outdoors. It works with every variant and disease. 7
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Wow... Something I did not expect.
México didn't buy the new vaccines, I assume, that was not that bad after all.
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We still have a lot of 1st gen vaccines. However, no 4 dose is still on the list 
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Wear high quality masks, improve ventilation and filtration.
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But it is an extra booster, so there's a small benefit from that. The nasal vaccine can't arrive soon enough, so we can at least see if that produces a bigger boost.
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I was about to be mad but then I realized I would’ve needed a booster anyway because it’s been since last November that I could have one. I’m less mad now but pissed at gov for dropping once again, the ball on Covid response
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Discouraging.. Still good to get the new bivalent now though if you had your last original boost (I.e third shot), a year ago?
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It should be effective as a booster, even if it's not as helpful as was expected.
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so Eric, any chance you can inspire people to take precautions that do not wane, such as wearing low porosity masks like KN95s? Why no mention of masks, only mention of products that assume someone doesnt avoid infection.
Please.
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Have a hard time believing but even if produces a non-superior response it is still not inferior to the original AND immunity wanes after 6-12 months, so people need to be reboosted. But all studies like this will do is encourage blanket statements and avoidance
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