“The mass vaccination program has driven natural selection and adaptation of more infectious SARS-CoV-2 (SC-2) variants that have now evolved to causing enhanced susceptibility of vaccinees to infection (due to antibody-dependent enhancement of infection; ADEI). The resulting recurrence of infectious episodes leads to hyperactivation of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells that are directed at a universal (i.e., MHC-unrestricted) T cell epitope comprised within the SC-2 spike (S) protein. As these cytotoxic CD8+ T cells enable prompt abrogation of productive infection and as this epitope is shared amongst some other glycosylated viruses causing acute self-limiting infection or disease, more and more cases of asymptomatic infections are to be expected in vaccinees, especially in those endowed with a mature and fully functional innate immune system.”
“But combined with waning vaccine protection and disappointing booster uptake among the elderly, the virus’s accelerating evolution and aggressive new trajectory — toward greater transmissibility, evasiveness and possibly pathogenicity — could cause significant reinfections and disruptions if not addressed.”
"There also have been some concerning findings in laboratory studies, which found that BA.4 and BA.5 were better able to infect lung cells than the earlier BA.2 subvariant of Omicron," she said.
https://news.yahoo.com/ultra-contagious-omicron-subvariants-ba-120056379.html
“The increased cases with significantly increased hospitalizations and deaths among the elderly population during the Omicron variant surge underscores the need to prevent infections in the elderly irrespective of vaccination status with uniform screening protocols and protective measures.”
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.28.22276926v1
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 460 cases in 30 states, Puerto Rico and D.C., though experts say that number is almost certainly an undercount, as many people who may be infected don’t yet have access to widespread testing.”
Comments from Geert: "Not surprising! Highly vaccinated populations are now serving as an asymptomatic reservoir for both SC-2 and avian Flu; from these reservoirs these viruses can easily spread to cattle (Kansas case?) and (wild) birds, respectively. Birds which become ill because of avian Flu are an easy prey for foxes....
This story will go on for a while. It’s just a matter of time till other livestock (poultry, pigs) will be affected That's why we may soon be obliged to shift from meat to veggies in our diet! I am not kidding!"
https://www.wattagnet.com/articles/45137-avian-influenza-strikes-foxes-in-four-states
“In light of an unsatisfactory risk-evidence situation, aggregate weekly data on excess mortality in New Zealand are used here to study the impacts of rolling out booster doses. Instrumental variables estimates using a plausible source of exogenous variation in the rate of booster dose rollout indicate 16 excess deaths per 100,000 booster doses, totaling over 400 excess deaths from New Zealand's booster rollout to date.”
https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/waieconwp/22_2f11.htm
“While the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service remains “very concerned” about the virus remaining in wild bird flyways during the summer with the risk of migrating birds bringing it back into the country this fall, it does see a break in the hectic action.”
Geert Vanden Bossche received his DVM from the University of Ghent, Belgium, and his PhD degree in Virology from the University of Hohenheim, Germany. He held adjunct faculty appointments at universities in Belgium and Germany. After his career in Academia, Geert joined several vaccine companies (GSK Biologicals, Novartis Vaccines, Solvay Biologicals) to serve various roles in vaccine R&D as well as in late vaccine development.
Geert then moved on to join the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Health Discovery team in Seattle (USA) as Senior Program Officer; he then worked with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) in Geneva as Senior Ebola Program Manager. At GAVI he tracked efforts to develop an Ebola vaccine. He also represented GAVI in fora with other partners, including WHO, to review progress on the fight against Ebola and to build plans for global pandemic preparedness.
Back in 2015, Geert scrutinized and questioned the safety of the Ebola vaccine that was used in ring vaccination trials conducted by WHO in Guinea. His critical scientific analysis and report on the data published by WHO in the Lancet in 2015 was sent to all international health and regulatory authorities involved in the Ebola vaccination program. After working for GAVI, Geert joined the German Center for Infection Research in Cologne as Head of the Vaccine Development Office. He is at present primarily serving as a Biotech / Vaccine consultant while also conducting his own research on Natural Killer cell-based vaccines.
Email: info@voiceforscienceandsolidarity.org
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