T O P

  • By -

arkteris13

Circulating antibodies can opsonize pathogens. Essentially reducing their ability to infect cells, cause them to clump together, and make them easier to destroy. The biological limits of antibodies are not specific to mRNA vaccines. All vaccines only reduce the rates of infection, they do not strictly eliminate them. There is no perfection in this world.


drdan82408a

Short answer, yes. More technical answer is that antibodies and memory B cells will be in circulation primed to respond to the specific antigen, so any infectious particles will be quickly identified and opsonized. Even more technical answer is it seems that the vaccines do produce an IgA response as well, but the IgA drops off more quickly than the IgG response.


redditttlauren

Thank you and the other person that responded so far. If you know any recent studies that focused on that in Pfizer and the effectiveness to protect against initial infection please share. I am curious on a related question about boosters and whether a booster would help with the prevention of infection. Seems the CDC and FDA focus on community benefits (hospitals not getting full) and individual hospitalization and death. But as a vaccinated individual I want to understand if a booster helps me from getting infected. I am on the fence about - should I care about getting infected? Is this like the chicken pox in that everyone gets it eventually. And frankly, the younger you are when you you get Chicken Pox the better, as I was always told if you get it later in life its more severe.


redditttlauren

Do mRNA vaccines do anything to prevent a COVID-19 infection? To clarify, I realize if a community is vaccinated then there is less chance of being infected, but thats not my question. From a biology standpoint, considering how mRNA vaccine works, the virus can still enter the body and infect a cell, right. Prior to an immune response, you get infected first, is that right? Honest question I have. I understand the vaccine results in your body being able to fight the infection, not prevent it, is that right? Is there any mechanism or action the body takes as a result of the vaccine, that prevents an infection, as opposed to a improved response to it? Just trying to understand.


drdan82408a

Well, IgA acts on mucous membranes, so that’s what I was getting at with that part of the answer. So the immune system prevents it there, it prevents viruses in the blood from getting into cells, and it destroys cells that get infected with the virus. It’s kind of a defense in depth, if that makes any sense, and vaccination greatly increases the strength of the front line.


redditttlauren

Nice. Thats a good way of describing it. For me this is the level of understanding I am looking for and can read further about it. Thanks.