(The Epoch Times)—People who have taken at least three doses of the original version of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine have been strongly immune imprinted, a study by the University of Washington (UW) found.
Consequently, when vaccinated with the most recent COVID-19 XBB.1.5 mRNA boosters, recipients produced few to no antibodies specific to the XBB.1.5 variant.
Immune imprinting occurs when previous infections or vaccinations leave such a strong immune memory that the body continues to produce immune cells and antibodies targeting the previous immune experience—even when exposed to a new variant or vaccine.
“[Immune imprinting] could be a problem if the person was unable to mount a useful immune response against a new variant,” Dr. Stanley Perlman, an immunologist and microbiologist at the University of Iowa, told The Epoch Times. He was not involved in the study.
While that did not occur in this study, most of the antibodies made following vaccination targeted the original COVID-19 variant and not XBB.1.5.
Surprising Findings
“Imprinting is not a new concept, but the situation we are looking at seems to be quite unique,” said David Veesler, who has a doctorate in structural biology, is a professor and chair in the Department of Biochemistry at UW, and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, in a press release.
Immune imprinting is a well-recognized phenomenon that can occur with other infections and viruses.
New influenza infections distinct from previous variants can overcome imprinting from influenza vaccinations and infections.
However, in the UW study, immune imprinting persisted even among those infected with new omicron variants.
“It is completely different from what we know from the influenza virus,” said Mr. Veesler.
“Immune imprinting persists after multiple exposures to Omicron spikes through vaccination and infection, including post XBB.1.5 booster vaccination, which will need to be considered to guide future vaccination,” the authors wrote.
More than 20 people with a history of three or more Wuhan-variant mRNA vaccines participated in the study. Most had been infected with pre- and post-omicron COVID-19 infections.
In addition to the original mRNA vaccines, most participants took the bivalent booster or the XBB.1.5 booster. By the time of the study, all participants had taken four to seven shots.
The authors found that most of the antibodies produced after XBB.1.5 mRNA inoculation were best at neutralizing the original Wuhan COVID-19 variant.
The antibodies had the second-greatest neutralizing potency against the BA.2.86 omicron variant. The antibodies were third most potent against XBB.1.5 in people who took the XBB.1.5 vaccine.
These antibodies were cross-reactive, meaning they could also bind to other variants, including the XBB.1.5 variants.
However, there were few to no antibodies specific to XBB.1.5.
Some people did produce new immune cells that recognized only XBB.1.5. However, of the 12 participants evaluated, only five had immune cells that recognized XBB.1.5 but not the Wuhan variant.
“Most of the antibodies recalled by the updated vaccine boosters are cross-reactive and help block new variants, which is a good thing. However, could we do an even better job? The answer is most likely yes,” said Mr. Vessler.
2 Possible Reasons
“There are two leading hypotheses about what we are seeing,” Mr. Veesler said in the press release, “and I don’t know which of the two options explains it yet.”
One hypothesis is that residents of Seattle, where most of the samples came from, were exposed to the virus so many times—mainly through vaccination but also infection—that they developed antibodies and immune memory cells preferable to the original virus.
“People in Seattle, including myself, have been so compliant,” Mr. Veesler said. “We have been exposed many, many times over the past four years through vaccination and usually at least one infection. And that’s very unusual to have so many exposures in such a short amount of time—up to seven vaccine doses in the cohort we analyzed.”
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Another reason is that the mRNA vaccine creates a more robust immune imprinting effect than previously known vaccines. The authors cited another study that found inoculating with killed COVID-19 viruses rendered a reduced imprinting effect in humans.
“Inactivated vaccines induce a weaker immune response, so there is less opportunity for the response to be biased [toward one variant],” Dr. Perlman said.
“mRNA vaccines may have been so good and elicited such strong immune responses that the imprinting may be stronger than what we have been used to seeing with vaccines for other viruses such as for influenza virus,” Mr. Veesler said.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
