Should Women seek better COVID Vaccines for their families?



A fully vaccinated person who has endured the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection once or more, will likely become infected with BA.2.12.1, BA.4, or BA.5 if exposed to these Omicron sub-variants.

“That’s bad for women and their families because the new variants seem to be as wicked as the Delta variant inasmuch as BA.4 and BA.5 and the strange BA.2 sub-variant  attack the lungs whereas previous permeations of Omicron nested in the upper respiratory regions like a common cold,” notes Dr. Kathy Poon who is an infectious disease specialist interning with the Civil Society Partners against COVID-19 (CSPaC)  COVID-19 tracking team in Singapore.

Should Women demand better COVID-19 Vaccines to prevent infection of their familiesShould Women demand better COVID-19 Vaccines to prevent infection of their families? Photo Credit: Micheal John / / Feminine-Perspective Magazine. Art/Cropping/Enhancement: Rosa Yamamoto / / Feminine-Perspective Magazine


“The wrong-minded theory that SARS-CoV-2 has morphed to a cold-like illness is nonsense. Omicron is a killer,” said Dr. Poon who continued in a Zoom interview.

“Arguments that vaccinated people are unlikely to suffer “Long-COVID is also wishful thinking because we do not know this to be true,” said the biostatistician and infectious disease researcher.


Mick Jagger (78) tested positive for COVID-19, thus Amsterdam Rolling Stones concert postponed 14 June 2022. Photo credit: Twitter Art/Cropping/Enhancement: Rosa Yamamoto / Feminine-Perspective Magazine


“More than that,” Dr. Poon added, “the evidence that helps a conclusion that three sub-variants of Omicron, the BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 are more like the Alpha and Delta variants—which all attack the lungs—gives rise to an expectation that all negative aspects of Alpha variant and found in the Delta variant can be expected with BA.2.12.1 and for sure BA.4 and BA.5, owing to what is being learned in an increasing amount of new research,” she added.


Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Canada’s Justin Trudeau, Rock Star, Mick Jagger and USA Representative Maxine Waters have all announced in recent days that sadly, they have contracted the COVID-19 disease.

The brave man who has led the infectious disease fight for the United States across decades is now infected with COVID-19.
File photograph: President Donald J. Trump, joined by Vice President Mike Pence, listen as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony S. Fauci delivers remarks during a coronavirus update briefing Thursday, April 16, 2020, in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks) Art/Cropping/Enhancement: Rosa Yamamoto / Feminine-Perspective Magazine


“As of May 2022, Omicron BA.2 variant is the most dominant variant in the world. Thereafter, Omicron sub-variants have emerged and some of them began outcompeting BA.2 in multiple countries,” according to Dr. Kei Sato and his team at the University of Tokyo who have been studying monoclonal antibodies and their ability to fight the BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 trio.

“For instance, Omicron BA.2.11, BA.2.12.1 and BA.4/5 sub-variants are becoming dominant in France, the USA and South Africa, respectively,” citing: Sensitivity of novel SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sub-variants, BA.2.11, BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 to therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.

According to GAVI, in early May 2022, “The BA.4 variant was first detected from a specimen collected on 10 January 2022 in Limpopo, South Africa, and has since been detected in all South African provinces. BA.5 was also first detected in South Africa, this time from a sample collected on 25 February 2022 in KwaZulu-Natal. It has also spread to other provinces.”



Genetic sequence data uploaded to the global  GISAID database, as well as data from WHO, suggest the number of cases and the number of infected locales are rising.

Dr. Fred Harris, the team lead at the  Civil Society Partners against COVID-19 (CSPaC)  COVID-19 tracking team in Singapore, suggests that the United Kingdom including Guernsey and Jersey are showing rapid growth in cases of the VOC BA.4 and VOC BA.5.


Nature Magazine reports that tracking SARS-CoV-2 evolution during persistent cases provides insight into the origins of Omicron and other global variants.

“Virologist Sissy Sonnleitner tracks nearly every COVID-19 case in Austria’s rugged eastern Tyrol region. So, when one woman there kept testing positive for months on end, Sonnleitner was determined to work out what was going on.” Here is that remarkable story.

Mutations accumulated in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 during a 7 month infection.

These are mutations that accumulated in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 during a seven-month-long infection. Illustration by Nik Spencer/Nature;


“Is it time to demand a new type of Vaccine against COVID-19, one that prevents infection? In the hands of a small few pharmaceutical billionaires there is a lot of new money from the existing vaccines. Shouldn’t that money be put to work on research into finding a vaccine that prevents COVID-19 Infection?” asks infectious disease specialist.

“It sounds a little like the World Health Organization is gingerly suggesting something better than what we have. After three years the human race is still in the throes of a merciless pandemic and it looks like the next big wave is shaping up,” urged Dr. Harris.

“Women and their families still need to take advantage of the current vaccines and get boosted regularly, to prevent serious illness, but government pressure on pharmaceuticals needs to be growing. The government and pharmaceuticals cannot rest on their laurels and mountain of money but must work harder at developing a vaccine to end COVID-19 infection. Is that asking too much? I don’t think so,” said Dr. Harris.


The government and pharmaceuticals cannot rest on their laurels and mountain of money but must work harder at developing a vaccine to end COVID-19 infection. Photo Credit: CSPAC.net


“There has been continuous &  substantial virus evolution since SARS-CoV-2 emerged in late 2019 and it is likely that this evolution will continue, resulting in the emergence of new variants, particularly those with changes in the spike protein. The trajectory of SARS-CoV-2 evolution remains uncertain and the genetic and antigenic characteristics of future variants cannot yet be predicted,” says the World Health Organization in a 17 June 2022 statement on the composition of current COVID-19 vaccines.

The WHO concludes that, “The use of currently licensed vaccines based on the index [origin NCOV2019] virus confers high levels of protection against severe disease outcomes for all variants, including Omicron with a booster dose.

“As such, the continued use of currently licensed vaccines for primary vaccination and as a booster dose is appropriate to achieve the primary goals [reduce risk of  serious outcomes] of COVID-19 vaccination.

“Given the uncertainties of the genetic and antigenic characteristics of future SARS-CoV-2 variants, it may be prudent to pursue an additional objective of COVID-19 vaccination of achieving a greater breadth in the antibody response against circulating and emerging variants, while retaining protection against severe disease and death. In this context, available data indicate that the inclusion of Omicron, as the most antigenically distinct SARS-CoV-2 VOC, in an updated vaccine composition may be beneficial. Available data also indicate that this would be best administered as a booster dose to those who have already received a COVID-19 vaccination primary series, if such vaccines were to be made available.”


Notes on Omicron Descendants Courtesy CSPAC.net  and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

BA.2.12.1, a new sub-variant of the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron, is spreading rapidly. Between 16 April 2022 and 23 April 2022, the percentage of COVID-19 cases caused by this derivation increased from 19.6% to 28.7% in the USA according to the CDC.

The Omicron variant comprises several lineages including but not exclusively B.1.1.529, BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.3, BA.4, and BA.5


Sub-variants of Omicron, some with significantly different characteristics.

Notes: 15 June 2022- WHO warns of now spiking COVID-19 regional outbreaks of Omicron Subvariants

Omicron BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 favour infection of the lungs similar to Delta variant and may cause more severe illness.

WHO label Lineage + additional mutations Country first detected (community) Spike mutations of interest Year and month first detected Impact on transmissibility Impact on immunity Impact on severity Transmission in EU/EEA
Omicron BA.1 South Africa and Botswana (x) November 2021 Increased (v) (1, 2) Increased (v) (3-5) Reduced (v) (6-8) Community
Omicron BA.2 South Africa (y) November 2021 Increased (v) (1, 9) Increased (v) (3) Reduced (v) (10, 11) Dominant
Omicron BA.4 South Africa L452R, F486V, R493Q January 2022 Increased risk Increased (12, 13) Increased Community
Omicron BA.5 South Africa L452R, F486V, R493Q February 2022 Increased Increased (12, 13) Increased Community

 

Key

x: A67V, △69-70, T95I, G142D, △143-145, N211I, △212, ins215EPE, G339D, S371L, S373P, S375F, K417N, N440K, G446S, S477N, T478K, E484A, Q493R, G496S, Q498R, N501Y, Y505H, T547K, D614G, H655Y, N679K, P681H, N764K, D796Y, N856K, Q954H, N969K, L981F

y: G142D, N211I, ?212, V213G, G339D, S371F, S373P, S375F, T376A, D405N, R408S, K417N, N440K, S477N, T478K, E484A, Q493R, Q498R, N501Y, Y505H, D614G, H655Y, N679K, P681H, N764K, D796Y, Q954H, N969K


2 Dec 2024 COVID-19 Data for The Entire World from CSPaC

Above data source: Civil Society Partners against COVID-19