A doctor with 23 years of experience explains: what is an antibody-dependent increase in immunity and can a coronavirus vaccine contribute to covid-19 infection
My PM is full of links to opponents of vaccination, who say that vaccination can worsen the condition of people who have already been ill due to antibody-dependent immunity enhancement (ADE).
This is typical hype-gluttony, an attempt to gain personal popularity on a hot topic.
And everything would be fine if the people who write this knew at least a little about this, or at least read modern research. But no. Only the use of difficult words and incomprehensible terms.
Here's what we know about ADE
- Antibody-dependent increased immunity - a rather rare immune phenomenon. If it were distributed the way anti-axers imagine, then humanity, in principle, would not have working vaccines.
- ADE is widely studied the experience of dengue fever, which mows children in the Pacific region. Alas, this is the ailment that has not yet been lucky enough to receive vaccines. Whatever vaccinations scientists prepared, they aggravated the course of the disease. Rather than protecting the host, the antibodies acted as a gateway, allowing the virus to enter and multiply in cells that are normally inaccessible (usually immune cells such as macrophages). This action is in the form of a "Trojan horse". As a result, there is currently no active vaccine against any of the 4 dengue species. But the work is in progress.
- There is a second action: when antibodies are few and cannot protect against infection. But when a virus enters the body, they, to put it bluntly, join the attacking army. This was the case in 1967 in the United States, when a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV, a common disease in newborns) was being developed. The kids who participated in the tests became seriously ill: the vaccine caused obstruction of the lungs. But - I emphasize!!! – all this was revealed in the early stages of testing, which our Sputnik vaccine (and any other that is used) successfully passed.
- Why is this problem not relevant for Covid-19? ADE is a so-called "hot" problem. If it arises, it arises immediately, and it is impossible to hide it. Hospitals would be overwhelmed with people who got vaccinated and immediately fell ill. But there are only a few such people. Let us recall the figures given by our chief specialist on coronavirus Denis Protsenko: among those who got to Kommunarka there are very few vaccinated: 136 people out of 23 thousand patients.
- Of course, as soon as the question of a vaccine arose, scientists began a heated discussion of how best to create a vaccine so that they would be effective and safe. And this issue is never removed from the agenda, especially when new strains appear.
However, all over the world the picture is the same: vaccinated people do not have serious complications from coronavirus and often do without hospitalization.
Here's a good one and relatively easy to understand. article about the ADE phenomenon.
Here study antibody response in non-hospitalized coronavirus patients: Scientists have not found any ADE in their test system using human cells.
The danger of vaccines in this regard is revealed in the early stages of experiments, even in mice. Besides, millions of people are now vaccinated and there is not a single case of ADE.
So do not fall for this horror story of anti-axers.
Be enlightened and smarter.
Your Doctor Pavlova
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