Lancet article details ‘highly immunogenic’ performance of new vaccine
An article in the UK medical journal The Lancet details the results and testing process of a ‘highly immunogenic’ coronavirus vaccine developed in Russia.
The vaccine was trialled in two formulations, both frozen and ‘lyophilised’, with the latter being suitable for transport to hard-to-reach regions – and both performed well, giving higher levels of immunity than injecting the plasma of patients who have recovered from the virus, which up to now has been the most effective treatment available. The trials also revealed no serious adverse reactions.
The report concludes:
In conclusion, these data collectively show that the heterologous vaccine based on rAd26-S and rAd5-S is safe, well tolerated, and does not cause serious adverse events in healthy adult volunteers. The vaccine is highly immunogenic and induces strong humoral and cellular immune responses in 100% of healthy adult volunteers, with antibody titres in vaccinated participants higher than those in convalescent plasma.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the Tories’ boasts about (yet again) world-beating UK performance in developing treatments, the news has received little attention from the UK’s ‘mainstream’ media, with brief mentions by the BBC website and the Daily Mail about the extent of coverage.
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Can i have a specific reference please?
You can find an appreciation by The Lancet here. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31867-5/fulltext Crucially, the Lancet did not “endorse” the vaccine, despite claims by RT and other quasi state agencies. The Lancet noted that the studies carried out showed both “strengths” and “limitations” and detailed these.
There is a small, but potentially significant error in your report. You say that the vaccine ‘performed well, giving higher levels of immunity than injecting the plasma of patients who have recovered from the virus’. In fact, it gave far higher levels of antibodies than those in convalescent plasma – which is a very hopeful sign, but it does not necessarily mean that those high levels of antibodies will result in higher levels of immunity from the virus. That will only be established with further and much larger scale trials, which of course are planned and which I understand will involve something like 40,000 people.
Lancet also reports good cellular (ie T cell) responses. More of a concern is the use of an adenovirus carrier which may in itself induce an immune response or may not be effective in previously exposed individuals.
Cue Johnson attempt to bully Best British Science into shortcutting Great British Testing of Great British Vaccine.
I suspect there are now several mutations of the virus possibly in different regions. Those countries working in collaboration such as Russia and China are likely to develop more efficient vaccine programs than those countries working independently.
And right on cue America slaps sanctions on the developers of the vaccine. Their hybrid war couldn’t sink any lower
The arbitrary unilateral imposition of sanctions is bully boy Trump’s favoured weapon.
The Trump administration in Washington has placed economic sanctions on the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and another senior official at the Hague.
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/maureen-clare-murphy/trump-goes-nuclear-against-icc
Yes he promised not to start any more wars and to end those already started. He quickly found he is powerless in the face of the military/security state. He’s also a liar. American special forces are fighting illegally in many countries. While liberals love ‘humaniterian intervention’, the public don’t so Obama droned people and Trump favours sanctions and hybrid warfare which kills more innocent people than open warfare.
One can’t deny the fact that the death rate has dropped right off – would I be correct in assuming that medical use of ‘convalescent plasma’ in the more serious cases is responsible, rather than any reduction in the severity of the virus itself?
If it’s available in quantities sufficient to keep deaths in single figures during any fresh wave I’d feel comfortable shifting from lockdown to treatment – if the treatment is available UK-wide.
Change the language
To Uncle Festa
Do you support the Russians
Off topic,but is everyone else not seeing any comments on the Independent newspaper site.I can comment and my comment goes on my comments log,but nothing appears.I complained and was told they were rebuilding the comments section after repeated problems (not wrong there) and all would be well “in a day or so” that was more than a week ago.