Live data from Hacker News

Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may produce lasting immunity

nature.com

21–30 of 364 posts

Re: Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may produce lasting immunity

#21

The mRNA vaccines have been the silver lining to the whole COVID-19 disaster. They seem “unreasonably effective” against COVID, basically if you had a genie that you could ask to make a vaccine, it would be hard to do much better, other than the requirement for 2 jabs. In addition, the mRNA technology has broad applicability to other issues such as other viruses (such as flu) and even cancer!

Traditional vaccines have also been "unreasonably effective". I'm all for mRNA going forward (I got pfizer myself) but lets not downplay just how effective the "old" tech has been against covid. It's really quite amazing how well we've been able to target it. Now if only we could get more people to accept that the vaccines are safe...

Re: Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may produce lasting immunity

#22
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's time for the naturally immune to be treated the same as those who've been vaccinated. There is absolutely zero scientific evidence to the contrary, and plenty of evidence to support it.

It’s hard to reliably verify previous infection and very safe and easy to get vaccinated, so what’s the point? I’m going to check your profile — 90% chance you spread antivax propaganda. Edit: yup. Every time.

It’s not your business to verify anything. It’s up to the individual to do what is best for their own situation. Focus on decisions for your own self and family.

Re: Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may produce lasting immunity

#23
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do we have any proof that the second dose is useful at all ?

There's very strong evidence, particularly against the Delta variant[1]. That paper cites a 33.5% effectiveness after one dose, compared to 87.9% after two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. [1]: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.22.21257658v...

That includes the lag time. A single dose is supposed to be about 80% effective once immunity develops. They don't know how long that will last and thus have the second shot to increase effectiveness and hopefully longevity.

Re: Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may produce lasting immunity

#24

We’ll still probably need periodic booster shots to deal with variants as they crop up. Still, very encouraging news if it holds up in practice.

We'll "need" to take periodic boosters to improve Moderna and Pfizer's profit margins. That said, given its safe, I'm happy to do it to help fund / drive investment into the mRNA supply chain.

I'm sorry, but you have no idea how vaccine economics work. Why do you think that researcher had so many problems at Pfizer getting funding to work on mRNA?

Drug companies want to invent things like Viagra or Harvoni, not vaccines that are given to everyone a few times.

Re: Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may produce lasting immunity

#25

We’ll still probably need periodic booster shots to deal with variants as they crop up. Still, very encouraging news if it holds up in practice.

Could someone elaborate why this particular comment is being downvoted? Or I guess in other words, is there something unique about the mRNA vaccines that make it unnecessary to require "booster shots" (if "booster shots" equate to yearly shots we are used to with the flu variants)?

(I legitimately don't know and I am curious. I see the article does reference protection against a variant during a study, but it's unclear to me if that means all future variants as well.)

Re: Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may produce lasting immunity

#26
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's time for the naturally immune to be treated the same as those who've been vaccinated. There is absolutely zero scientific evidence to the contrary, and plenty of evidence to support it.

It’s hard to reliably verify previous infection and very safe and easy to get vaccinated, so what’s the point? I’m going to check your profile — 90% chance you spread antivax propaganda. Edit: yup. Every time.

I’m not understanding your point - wouldn’t an antibody test or a positive Covid test be easy enough to show? Not sure how that’s any different than showing proof of a Covid vaccine

Re: Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may produce lasting immunity

#27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s hard to reliably verify previous infection and very safe and easy to get vaccinated, so what’s the point? I’m going to check your profile — 90% chance you spread antivax propaganda. Edit: yup. Every time.

It’s not your business to verify anything. It’s up to the individual to do what is best for their own situation. Focus on decisions for your own self and family.

Your vaccination status impacts the people around you.

There are folks who cannot be vaccinated (or who are not able to develop immunity from the vaccine). It is dangerous for them to be around unvaccinated people.

So no, it is not just up to the individual to do what is best for them.

Re: Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may produce lasting immunity

#28

The mRNA vaccines have been the silver lining to the whole COVID-19 disaster. They seem “unreasonably effective” against COVID, basically if you had a genie that you could ask to make a vaccine, it would be hard to do much better, other than the requirement for 2 jabs. In addition, the mRNA technology has broad applicability to other issues such as other viruses (such as flu) and even cancer!

Does mixing of one mRNA vaccine with another mRNA vaccine for the second does create the same effect as if it's one brand of vaccine was used?

Re: Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may produce lasting immunity

#29
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's time for the naturally immune to be treated the same as those who've been vaccinated. There is absolutely zero scientific evidence to the contrary, and plenty of evidence to support it.

It’s hard to reliably verify previous infection and very safe and easy to get vaccinated, so what’s the point? I’m going to check your profile — 90% chance you spread antivax propaganda. Edit: yup. Every time.

It's not hard to reliably verify previous infection at all. A past positive Covid test or a positive antibody test will reliably verify immunity just as well as a vaccination record.

Go check my profile all you want. The science is crystal clear, and you don't even have an argument against it aside from trying to attack me as an anti-vaxxer (which I am certainly not).

Re: Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may produce lasting immunity

#30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s hard to reliably verify previous infection and very safe and easy to get vaccinated, so what’s the point? I’m going to check your profile — 90% chance you spread antivax propaganda. Edit: yup. Every time.

It’s not your business to verify anything. It’s up to the individual to do what is best for their own situation. Focus on decisions for your own self and family.

Isn't the entire point of a public health crisis like this that you can't just focus on yourself and your family, because doing so still has the potential to seriously impact or kill other people?
Post reply on HN