有一種觀點認為,疫苗使新冠病毒株變得“更強大”,疫苗接種者更容易染病,科學家們嚴厲反駁了這種觀點。
世界衛(wèi)生組織(World Health Organization)已經確認,XBB.1.5是到目前為止傳播力最強的病毒株。XBB.1.5被生物學教授瑞安·格雷戈里稱為“克拉肯”毒株。
美國疾病控制與預防中心(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)在1月6日表示,該變異毒株預計占總感染病例的28%,成為美國最流行的第二大毒株。
歐洲疾病預防與控制中心(European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control)稱,感染克拉肯毒株的患者數量每九天增加一倍,因此呼吁“緊急”開發(fā)針對該病毒株的治療藥物和疫苗。
然而,一些人聲稱疫苗和加強針使病毒變得“更強大”,這種說法被健康保護科學家們斥責為“荒謬透頂”。
《華爾街日報》(Wall Street Journal)發(fā)表的一篇文章質疑:疫苗是否正在助長新的新冠變異毒株?因為在美國東北部等疫苗接種率較高的地區(qū),病毒正在飛速傳播。
雖然XBB.1.5具有一定程度的免疫逃脫力,但皇家疫苗研究網絡(Imperial Network for Vaccine Research)的克里斯托弗·趙博士解釋稱,這只是一個“正常的病毒進化過程”。
沒有證據表明疫苗使新冠病毒株變得更強大
這位傳染病學醫(yī)生兼免疫學家對《財富》雜志表示,沒有證據表明疫苗使新冠病毒株變得更強大,或者疫苗接種者更有可能出現重癥。
馬薩諸塞州綜合醫(yī)院(Massachusetts General Hospital)的副教授羅比·巴塔查里亞認同克里斯托弗·趙的觀點。巴塔查里亞告訴彭博社(Bloomberg),他在2022年主持的一項研究顯示,疫苗接種很可能并沒有加快初始奧密克戎疫情的進程。
1月初發(fā)布的最新數據也顯示,XBB.1.5對先前接種疫苗和感染的免疫逃脫力,并不會高于已經流行的變異毒株,因為克拉肯毒株的免疫逃脫力略低于其母變異毒株。
世界衛(wèi)生組織的新冠響應技術負責人瑪麗亞·范·克爾克霍夫在1月4日稱,目前仍然無法確定新變異毒株是否是美國東北部住院患者增加的原因。
英國國立衛(wèi)生研究院(National Institute for Health Research)健康保護研究小組(Health Protection Research Unit)應急準備項目的保羅·亨特教授表示,沒有明確的證據能夠證明克拉肯毒株的免疫耐受能力。
他強調,接種疫苗和先前感染產生的對患者的混合免疫力,是對系統性感染或嚴重感染的最佳防御,可以減少由此導致的住院治療和潛在死亡。
現有疫苗如何對抗新冠變異毒株
目前美國主要有四種疫苗:輝瑞(Pfizer)-BioNTech、Moderna、Novavax和強生(Johnson & Johnson)疫苗。
輝瑞-BioNTech
輝瑞的新二價疫苗加強針對原始SARS CoV-2病毒和奧密克戎亞變異毒株BA.4與BA.5均有效。
耶魯大學醫(yī)學院(Yale Medicine)指出,專家們仍然在研究這款二價疫苗對于最新變異毒株的免疫效果,例如克拉肯毒株,但該醫(yī)學院提到,輝瑞在2022年11月開展的一項臨床試驗顯示,55歲或55歲以上人群接種這款二價疫苗后的中和抗體水平,比接種單價疫苗的同齡人高約四倍。
Moderna
2022年11月,Moderna稱其更新的新冠疫苗對奧密克戎BA.4/BA.5亞變異毒株產生的中和抗體水平“遠高于”先前的疫苗,所有參與者的奧密克戎BA.4/BA.5抗體水平較接種疫苗前提高了15倍。
Novavax
世界衛(wèi)生組織確認,在多種變異毒株(Alpha、Beta和Delta)流行期間,在美國和墨西哥開展的一項III期研究發(fā)現,Novavax的疫苗防止輕度、中度或重度新冠病毒感染的效力為90%。
該公司還在開發(fā)一款新冠-流感聯合疫苗。該公司的首席執(zhí)行官斯坦利·C·埃里克說:“我們認為,與流感一樣,未來新冠也會變成一種季節(jié)性疾病。因此,提供新替代疫苗產生對流感更強大的保護力,尤其是在老年人群體當中,同時探索將其與對新冠的保護力組合的潛力,具有市場空間。”
強生
2021年,Sisonke 2期研究的數據確認,在奧密克戎變異毒株為主流病毒株的地區(qū),強生的新冠疫苗預防住院的效力為85%。(財富中文網)
譯者:劉進龍
審校:汪皓
有一種觀點認為,疫苗使新冠病毒株變得“更強大”,疫苗接種者更容易染病,科學家們嚴厲反駁了這種觀點。
世界衛(wèi)生組織(World Health Organization)已經確認,XBB.1.5是到目前為止傳播力最強的病毒株。XBB.1.5被生物學教授瑞安·格雷戈里稱為“克拉肯”毒株。
美國疾病控制與預防中心(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)在1月6日表示,該變異毒株預計占總感染病例的28%,成為美國最流行的第二大毒株。
歐洲疾病預防與控制中心(European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control)稱,感染克拉肯毒株的患者數量每九天增加一倍,因此呼吁“緊急”開發(fā)針對該病毒株的治療藥物和疫苗。
然而,一些人聲稱疫苗和加強針使病毒變得“更強大”,這種說法被健康保護科學家們斥責為“荒謬透頂”。
《華爾街日報》(Wall Street Journal)發(fā)表的一篇文章質疑:疫苗是否正在助長新的新冠變異毒株?因為在美國東北部等疫苗接種率較高的地區(qū),病毒正在飛速傳播。
雖然XBB.1.5具有一定程度的免疫逃脫力,但皇家疫苗研究網絡(Imperial Network for Vaccine Research)的克里斯托弗·趙博士解釋稱,這只是一個“正常的病毒進化過程”。
沒有證據表明疫苗使新冠病毒株變得更強大
這位傳染病學醫(yī)生兼免疫學家對《財富》雜志表示,沒有證據表明疫苗使新冠病毒株變得更強大,或者疫苗接種者更有可能出現重癥。
馬薩諸塞州綜合醫(yī)院(Massachusetts General Hospital)的副教授羅比·巴塔查里亞認同克里斯托弗·趙的觀點。巴塔查里亞告訴彭博社(Bloomberg),他在2022年主持的一項研究顯示,疫苗接種很可能并沒有加快初始奧密克戎疫情的進程。
1月初發(fā)布的最新數據也顯示,XBB.1.5對先前接種疫苗和感染的免疫逃脫力,并不會高于已經流行的變異毒株,因為克拉肯毒株的免疫逃脫力略低于其母變異毒株。
世界衛(wèi)生組織的新冠響應技術負責人瑪麗亞·范·克爾克霍夫在1月4日稱,目前仍然無法確定新變異毒株是否是美國東北部住院患者增加的原因。
英國國立衛(wèi)生研究院(National Institute for Health Research)健康保護研究小組(Health Protection Research Unit)應急準備項目的保羅·亨特教授表示,沒有明確的證據能夠證明克拉肯毒株的免疫耐受能力。
他強調,接種疫苗和先前感染產生的對患者的混合免疫力,是對系統性感染或嚴重感染的最佳防御,可以減少由此導致的住院治療和潛在死亡。
現有疫苗如何對抗新冠變異毒株
目前美國主要有四種疫苗:輝瑞(Pfizer)-BioNTech、Moderna、Novavax和強生(Johnson & Johnson)疫苗。
輝瑞-BioNTech
輝瑞的新二價疫苗加強針對原始SARS CoV-2病毒和奧密克戎亞變異毒株BA.4與BA.5均有效。
耶魯大學醫(yī)學院(Yale Medicine)指出,專家們仍然在研究這款二價疫苗對于最新變異毒株的免疫效果,例如克拉肯毒株,但該醫(yī)學院提到,輝瑞在2022年11月開展的一項臨床試驗顯示,55歲或55歲以上人群接種這款二價疫苗后的中和抗體水平,比接種單價疫苗的同齡人高約四倍。
2022年11月,Moderna稱其更新的新冠疫苗對奧密克戎BA.4/BA.5亞變異毒株產生的中和抗體水平“遠高于”先前的疫苗,所有參與者的奧密克戎BA.4/BA.5抗體水平較接種疫苗前提高了15倍。
世界衛(wèi)生組織確認,在多種變異毒株(Alpha、Beta和Delta)流行期間,在美國和墨西哥開展的一項III期研究發(fā)現,Novavax的疫苗防止輕度、中度或重度新冠病毒感染的效力為90%。
該公司還在開發(fā)一款新冠-流感聯合疫苗。該公司的首席執(zhí)行官斯坦利·C·埃里克說:“我們認為,與流感一樣,未來新冠也會變成一種季節(jié)性疾病。因此,提供新替代疫苗產生對流感更強大的保護力,尤其是在老年人群體當中,同時探索將其與對新冠的保護力組合的潛力,具有市場空間。”
強生
2021年,Sisonke 2期研究的數據確認,在奧密克戎變異毒株為主流病毒株的地區(qū),強生的新冠疫苗預防住院的效力為85%。(財富中文網)
譯者:劉進龍
審校:汪皓
Scientists are keen to shut down the idea that vaccines are making COVID strains “stronger” and that those who have had a booster are more susceptible to the disease.
The World Health Organization has confirmed that XBB.1.5—dubbed “Kraken” by biology professor Ryan Gregory—is the most transmissible strain yet.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on January 6 that the mutation is predicted to make up 28% of cases this week, making it the second most prevalent strain in the U.S.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Kraken is estimated to double the number of people it sickens every nine days, prompting calls for “urgent” development of treatment and vaccines against it.
However, claims that vaccines and boosters are helping the virus get “stronger” have been slammed as “absolute nonsense” by health protection scientists.
The Wall Street Journal published an article posing the question: Are Vaccines Fueling New Covid Variants? given the spread of the virus in highly vaccinated areas such as Northeastern America.
And although XBB.1.5 is immune-evasive to some extent, this is a “normal process of virus evolution” explained Dr. Christopher Chiu of the Imperial Network for Vaccine Research.
No evidence that vaccines have made COVID strains more powerful
Speaking to Fortune, the infectious diseases physician and immunologist added there is no evidence to suggest that vaccines have made COVID strains more powerful or that those who have been jabbed are any more likely to get a severe case of infection.
He was echoed by Roby Bhattacharyya, an assistant professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, who told Bloomberg a study he led last year showed that vaccination probably didn’t accelerate the initial Omicron wave.
New data in earlier January also showed XBB.1.5 shouldn’t evade prior vaccines and infections any better than a variant already in circulation, as Kraken is slightly less immune evasive than its parent mutation.
Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for COVID-19 response at the WHO, added on January 4 that it is unknown if the variant is contributing to a rise in hospitalizations in the Northeast U.S.
Professor Paul Hunter, of the National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Emergency Preparedness, added there is no clear evidence to suggest just how immune-resistant Kraken is.
He highlighted that hybrid immunity—protection for patients arising out of both vaccines and previous infection—was the best defense against systemic or severe infection, leading to hospitalizations and potential deaths.
How current vaccines battle COVID variants
There are currently four main vaccines available to people in the U.S.: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax, and Johnson & Johnson.
Pfizer-BioNTech
Pfizer’s new bivalent booster is designed to battle both the original SARS CoV-2 virus and the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.
Yale Medicine said experts are still establishing how effective the bivalent jab is against more recent mutations such as Kraken, but signposted that a clinical trial in November 2022 by Pfizer showed that levels of neutralizing antibodies in the bivalent booster were around four times higher in people 55 and older than in people of similar ages who got a monovalent booster.
Moderna
Moderna
In November 2022, Moderna said its updated COVID-19 booster generated “significantly higher” neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants than its earlier shot, with all participants having a 15-fold increase in Omicron BA.4/BA.5 antibody levels from pre-booster levels.
Novavax
Novavax
WHO confirmed a Phase III study conducted in the U.S. and Mexico during a period in which multiple variants (Alpha, Beta, and Delta) were in circulation found the Novavax vaccine efficacy against mild, moderate, or severe COVID-19 was 90%.
The company is also developing a COVID-19-Influenza Combination (CIC), with CEO Stanley C. Erck saying, “We believe that like influenza, COVID-19 will also be seasonal moving forward, and that there is room in the market for new alternatives to provide better protection against the impact of influenza, particularly in older adults, and to explore the potential to combine this with protection from COVID.”
Johnson & Johnson
In 2021 data from the Sisonke 2 study confirm that the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 booster shot provides 85% effectiveness against hospitalization in areas where the Omicron variant was dominant.