2020.07.17 14:03
Aging immunity may exacerbate COVID-19
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6501/256?utm_campaign=toc_sci-mag_2020-07-16&et_rid=160814555&et_cid=3410298
2020.07.17 14:20
2020.07.19 07:43
Isn't it natural to produce lower amount of antibody as the price for aging?
Anyhow whole immune system would become weaker when aged, doc!
BB Lee
2020.07.17 22:15
From CDC
How effective is the flu vaccine in the elderly?
In numerous studies since 2010, flu vaccines have helped protect adults 65 years of age and older against influenza A(H1N1) viruses and both lineages of influenza B viruses. Specifically, flu vaccines have reduced the risk of medically attended illness caused by H1N1 or B by more than 60% on average among people age65 and older (1). Flu vaccines also have reduced the risk of flu hospitalization among adults age 65 and older by 54% against A(H1N1) viruses and by 31% against influenza B viruses on average (2).
However, protection against influenza A(H3N2) flu viruses has been less consistent. On average, flu vaccines have reduced the risk of doctor visits with A(H3N2) flu by 24% and reduced the risk of hospitalization with A(H3N2) flu by 33% in adults age 65 and older (1,2). During seasons when the H3N2 vaccine component has been like (well-matched to) the flu viruses circulating in the community, the benefit from flu vaccination has been higher. During these seasons, flu vaccine reduced the risk of hospitalizations with A(H3N2) flu by 43% on average (2). But when the vaccine component was less similar to viruses in the community, the protection has dropped to 14% (2).
of note, Influenza A virus subtype H3N2 (A/H3N2) is a subtype of viruses that causes influenza (flu). H3N2 viruses can infect birds and mammals. In birds, humans, and pigs, the virus has mutated into many strains. In years in which H3N2 is the predominant strain, there are more hospitalizations.[1]
Despite the fact that some older adults (65 years of age and older) have weaker immune responses to the influenza A (H3N2) component of flu vaccines, there are many reasons why people in that age group should be vaccinated each year.
2020.07.18 00:55
[Bloomberg] -- Anthony Fauci told Facebook, Inc. ‘s Mark Zuckerberg that he expects results for a clinical trial on monoclonal antibodies by late summer or early fall, underscoring the speed at which the government has been working to quickly approve and roll out treatment for the novel coronavirus.
A monoclonal antibody is a laboratory-produced protein that can potentially be used to treat sick patients as well as for prophylaxis. Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, described them as “precise bullets” that can be developed from antibodies from other people who’ve been infected and used as a treatment to fight the virus at multiple stages.
“What we really need are drugs that, when given early, can prevent a symptomatic person from requiring hospitalization or very dramatically diminish the time that they’re symptomatic,” Fauci said during the Facebook Live interview on Thursday. Monoclonal antibodies can be administrated intravenously or through a shot.
Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, also said that the nation needs to “regroup” and “call a time out” as cases continue to surge across the U.S. Too many states skipped over certain guidelines as they jumped to reopen their economies.
“That is a recipe for getting into trouble,” Fauci said.
Zuckerberg, chief executive and co-founder of the social-media company, was critical of the government’s handling of the pandemic, saying “it’s really disappointing that we don’t have adequate testing, that the credibility of top scientists and the CDC are being questioned.”
Facebook has sought to remove misinformation on its platforms, but the struggle was illustrated during the event as several users’ comments scrolled next to the interview questioning the utility of vaccines. One pressed for “therapeutics or God created supplements.”
Facebook Removes 2.5 Million Posts Selling Masks, COVID Kits
Fauci and Zuckerberg also discussed the importance of wearing masks, developing an effective vaccine, getting children back in school and young people’s role in stopping the spread of the virus
“Young people are intimately and heavily involved with what is going on with this pandemic,” Fauci said, pointing to the surge in younger people testing positive in the newest hotspots. “Consider your responsibility to yourself, but also societal responsibility.”
2020.07.19 07:51
How much the monoclonal antibody can be produced using the animal? I have a strong feeling that this monoclonal antibody is the final key to let the elderly tide over the virus attack. Indeed, transplant immunologists already had some foresight based on the ALG (antilymphocytic globulin) to deal with the rejection.
BB Lee
2020.07.19 02:57
Effectiveness of influenza vaccines in preventing severe influenza illness among adults:
A systematic review and meta-analysis of test-negative design case-control studies
Objectives: Summary evidence of influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) against hospitalized influenza is lacking. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies reporting IVE against laboratory-confirmed hospitalized influenza among adults.
Methods: We searched Pubmed (January 2009 to November 2016) for studies that used test-negative design (TND) to enroll patients hospitalized with influenza-associated conditions. Two independent authors selected relevant articles. We calculated pooled IVE against any and (sub)type-specific influenza among all adults and stratified by age group (18-64 and 65 years and above) using random-effects models.
Results: We identified 3411 publications and 30 met our inclusion criteria. Between 2010-11 and 2014-15, the pooled seasonal IVE was 41% (95%CI:34;48) for any influenza (51% (95%CI:44;58) among people aged 18-64y and 37% (95%CI:30;44) among ≥65 years). IVE was 48% (95%CI:37;59),37% (95%CI:24;50) and 38% (95%CI:23;53) against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2) and B, respectively. Among persons aged ≥65 years, IVE against A(H3N2) was 43% (95%CI:33;53) in seasons when circulating and vaccine strains were antigenically similar and 14% (95%CI:-3;30) when A(H3N2) variant viruses predominated.
Conclusions: Influenza vaccines provided moderate protection against influenza-associated hospitalizations among adults. They seemed to provide low protection among the elderly in seasons where vaccine and circulating A(H3N2) strains were antigenically variant.
2020.07.23 04:10
How much the flu vaccine would affect to the response/effectiveness of Corona virus vaccine with average 3 months interval?
I have been forced(?) to get the flu vaccine- stupid rule we have here at George Washington Univ is we/physicians have to get the flu shot first before we are allowed to see the patients at the clinic! - every year so that I expect the nurse coordinator would roam into my office holding the needle to scare me enough every Fall season - October?- . Then, if we could get the Corona vaccine in early next year without enough interval from the flu vaccine, how it would work?
I wish someone give us some clear picture on this immune reaction.
BB Lee
2020.07.23 10:29
As far as I know, There should be no problem.
Two different antigenic viruses should induce two different immune responses
without interfering each other regardless of whatever interval.
For example, internists sometimes give flu shot and pneumonia vaccine to the patient
at the same time, and kids get their baby shots with two or three vaccines together.
2020.07.25 05:19
I would like to share a newly obtained information in regard to currently leading vaccine project as below;
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/07/meet-the-4-frontrunners-in-the-covid-19-vaccine-race/
All the best,
BB Lee
It is a well known medical fact that the annual flu shot's efficacy
against the seasonal flu in the elderly is low.
This article explains why flu vaccine is not very effective for the elderly
and warns that the vaccines we are making against COVID19 may not
provide adequate protection for the aged.
It says that the aged will need not only the vaccine but also antiviral and
antiinflammatory agent.
This is not a good news for the aged.
The future of the elderly appears to be continually at the mercy of the virus
indefinitely for now until we have the best vaccine as well as the best antiviral available.