4 ms·

Wow, what a fascinating phenomenon. A weak first dose somehow primes the immune system better than a full one?

• athriren 6y ago
  “The thing is, the immune system is very complicated.” quote from the link here, but for those who don’t want to click through (this article is fascinating though), it is told in the context of a joke which i will post below the link. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/08/covid-19-immunity-is-the-pandemics-central-mystery/614956/ https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/08/covid-19-... There’s a joke about immunology, which Jessica Metcalf of Princeton recently told me. An immunologist and a cardiologist are kidnapped. The kidnappers threaten to shoot one of them, but promise to spare whoever has made the greater contribution to humanity. The cardiologist says, “Well, I’ve identified drugs that have saved the lives of millions of people.” Impressed, the kidnappers turn to the immunologist. “What have you done?” they ask. The immunologist says, “The thing is, the immune system is very complicated…” And the cardiologist says, “Just shoot me now.”
• m12k 6y ago
  IANAD but my guess is maybe a stronger immune response in the first dose makes the immune system respond so quickly to the second dose, that it doesn't have time to get anywhere and interact with enough of the body to have much of an effect. That way a weaker immunization in the first dose leaves more room for the second dose to have a refreshing/strengthening effect. Basically, 1 + 2 > 2 + 0
• bluGill 6y ago
  Sample size is too small to say that. The vaccine works across all doses, but that is all the data shows.