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Pfizer and Biontech provide update on Omicron variant

pfizer.com

661–670 of 717 posts

Re: Pfizer and Biontech provide update on Omicron variant

#661

Interesting. So far the Omicron variant has shown itself to be mild with minimal hospitalizations and 0 reported deaths worldwide. Is there even a need to vaccinate at all? It would seem this is the variant we would want to spread worldwide and let it take over the more dangerous strains.

There isn't a need to vaccinate. But there are many, many leftover doses to sell. Scare the people, and sell them the "solution". Rinse and repeat every 6 months.

Re: Pfizer and Biontech provide update on Omicron variant

#662
post #560

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn't reduce spread in a significant enough amount to make a difference. This seems especially true with Omicron and the spread through vaccinated air travellers. It encourages mutating variants to escape/prevail because it reduces severity so you are more likely to function socially and keep spreading it.

> It doesn't reduce spread in a significant enough amount to make a difference Yes, it does. > This seems especially true with Omicron and the spread through vaccinated air travellers. Nobody knows yet. We don't have enough data. Anyone who says something definitive about Omicron is either basing it off of a small amount of early data, or is lying to you. Things like infection rate, hospitalization and death are all…

OK so you're now clarifying:

>The vaccine does reduce spread of the virus(es) it is made for. That statement had little to do with omicron.

I appreciate you backtracking and admitting it would be hypocritical for you to state the vaccine reduces the spread of Omicron in significant enough amount to make a difference, since you admitted yourself it would be a lie to say it with certainty or a presumption made on limited data.

I stand by the flagging, wherever it came from was cowardly, especially since as a green account I can't flag back. I did not name you out for it specifically, so you can drop the victim act. The world doesn't revolve around you bro, if I call the act of flagging my comment cowardly you don't have to presume it was directed at you unless you did it yourself. Calling an act cowardly isn't name calling, because it describes an act not a person, but I understand you're fired up to play yourself the victim. But it's really suspicious you make such a big deal of the cowardly description I called out for the flagger, when you claim you didn't flag at all.

Being obtuse is talking about omicron, then saying "yes it does" stop the spread, and then confronted with your own statements you go "but nuh uh, I wasn't talking about omicron." Come to think of it, calling someone obtuse when you think name calling is inappropriate might make you a hypocrite again, not that it means anything to you.

Re: Pfizer and Biontech provide update on Omicron variant

#663

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any more booster shots? Any more vaccines?

Booster shots. Something doesn't smell right. People on all sides are scared and I don't think rational thought is being applied any more.

Sounds like your gut is in the right place. I keep my fingers crossed that our governor doesn't issue mandates for boosters for us folks in the public sector. I did my part with shots 1 and 2, but I am _not_ doing this again, for a variant which hasn't even killed anyone.

Re: Pfizer and Biontech provide update on Omicron variant

#664
post #477

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They also wrote a book

Nice tip! I didn't know about it. I found this: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250280374 Author: Joe Miller with Dr. Özlem Türeci and Dr. Ugur Sahin >>

Interestingly both last names are written incorrectly on the cover (should have been TÜRECİ and ŞAHİN -- with a dotted capital I). Looks like a bug in the "convert to all caps" function of their publishing or design software. It can't be a font issue as they were able to print "Ğ".

Re: Pfizer and Biontech provide update on Omicron variant

#665

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s… fine? I don’t care if I have to get a jab every 6 months. I don’t care if Pfizer and Moderna make a ton of money off this—they deserve it.

No its not fine because not everyone reacts well to these vaccines. I know numerous people, including myself, that have had crippling heart inflammation after their second dose. I can apply for an exemption but ultimately that does little for what rights I am afforded. People are being left behind, and its not okay.

What do you suggest as an alternative? This is the current state of the science as far as Covid-19 is concerned. There will most definitely be different types of vaccines with longer lasting immunity [1] and anti-viral drugs [2] in the future but this is the best we have at this time.

[1] https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/news/emergex-trial-covid...

[2] https://www.npr.org/2021/12/06/1061902658/what-a-new-antivir...

Re: Pfizer and Biontech provide update on Omicron variant

#666

Very curious as to how this was determined: "Although two doses of the vaccine may still offer protection against severe disease caused by the Omicron strain, it’s clear from these preliminary data that protection is improved with a third dose of our vaccine" Based on the latest data, not a single person has died from Omicron, so what are they using to back this up? It's possible that Omicron is less deadly than prev…

Their specific test was about how the immune system reacts, it says nothing about how dangerous the virus is.

Re: Pfizer and Biontech provide update on Omicron variant

#667

Interesting. So far the Omicron variant has shown itself to be mild with minimal hospitalizations and 0 reported deaths worldwide. Is there even a need to vaccinate at all? It would seem this is the variant we would want to spread worldwide and let it take over the more dangerous strains.

> It would seem this is the variant we would want to spread worldwide and let it take over the more dangerous strains.

We don't want any variant to spread worldwide because with each infection it has the potential to mutate and turn into another (sometimes more dangerous) variant. That's how Covid-19 came to existence in the first place, mutating from a relatively harmless Coronavirus.

Re: Pfizer and Biontech provide update on Omicron variant

#668
post #333

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We get flu vaccine every year, what's wrong with getting vaccinated forever?

First of all, "we" don't all get the flu vaccine every year. Those of us who are healthy can elect not to get it and be just fine. Secondly, the flu vaccine isn't the same vaccine every year. It is reformulated to target the flu strains that are predicted to be dominant that season. Thirdly, the flu vaccines effectiveness varies wildly from pretty darn good to almost worthless. Usually depending on how accurately flu…

Huh. The CDC says that about 50% of adults in the US get the flu shot.

That's much higher than I would have guessed. I would have thought it was around 20%... medical workers and the old/infirm. I never have; I might when I get into my 70s or 80s.

Re: Pfizer and Biontech provide update on Omicron variant

#669
post #440

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed. Every time I read a post like the grandparent I move closer to full-blown antivaxx.

Pedantically, basing your stance purely on being tired of being told what to do _isn’t_ an intelligent strategy. Not saying that’s your entire stance, but emotional contrarianism is not a good reason to update your priors.

It can move you closer to an environment where you aren’t often told what to do, though.

Re: Pfizer and Biontech provide update on Omicron variant

#670
post #558

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The linked article both describes the mechanism and has plenty of recent references observing and studying the effect whether or not you think it makes sense. The general mechanism is that recognition of the antigen by memory B cells produces a response that also inhibits (non-memory) B cells from reacting to the antigen. So when the antigen has drifted enough that memory B cells still recognize it, but the antibodie…

So, down the line, you might be more susceptible to a similar mutation. (Based on no hard evidence for this particular virus). (Social media reports aren’t exactly reliable and everything seems to indicate that your chances of serious complications are worse without a vaccine). Right now, there’s a deadly virus going around and there might not be a “later” for me if I don’t get the vaccine. I think I’ll take my chanc…

There is hard evidence. I’m on mobile and can’t look well now, but I encourage you to look!
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