2009-11-28
Vaccine Failure Confirmed in New York Times by UK National Institute for Medical Research
Updates reflected on the characterisation sheets from the Ukraine indicate antigenic testing against one of the samples. Of note was the LvivN6 sample from a fatal case with 225G being reported as exhibiting clear vaccine escape signals with a <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11270902/D225G_Evade.html">low reactor</a> status update on the antigenicity profile. That type of information is important news to the world. We would have expected a news conference or a press release prior to the status update as confirmation of the database detail, but no public health notice of that type has occurred.
Today, Donald McNeil of the New York Times is reporting that Britain's NIMR, National Institute for Medical Research, has corroborated the status update of "low reactor" as follows:
"One isolate from Ukraine with the mutation had changed so that swine flu vaccine probably would not protect against it well, Britain?s national medical laboratory reported Friday."
Dr. Henry Niman of Recombinomics is concerned that <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11280901/WHO_D225G_Vac.html">differing opinions have been offered</a> to the public concerning the importance of the D225G polymorphism. We share that concern about the lack of consistent reporting. Moreover, a clear finding is required on antigenicity of the remaining Ukraine sequences with a focus on the remaining three 225G samples. The sequence of interest, LvivN6, is among the least variant of the 4 fatal cases at the HA and shares HA homology with TernopilN11. At the NA, the LvivN6 single SNP impeaches the Neuraminidase segment as an antigen differentiator for this group of sequences due to homology with the remaining three 225G samples.
We would expect a similar finding of "low reactor" on 4 of these sequences if the least variant at NA and HA, LvivN6, showed reduced reaction. If NIMR has, in fact, officially confirmed this vaccine escape event via the New York Times, their lab books may have notations for 3 other 225G Ukraine sequences in the antisera reactivity panels.
Antigenic diversity, whether due to viral response to human immunity, anti-viral selection pressure or vaccine pressure, is a certainty. Additional reporting of data that may be on hand would easily clear this issue as to the exact nature of the diversity in circulation today within ΣPF11.
Twenty-six sequences are on record from several temporal and geographic points in the pandemic carrying paired HA and NA cross-segment linkages to these Ukraine fatal cases, including the item, LvivN6, reported and validated as a "low reactor" to the current pandemic vaccine. Those sequences are seeded throughout major population areas of the world. Forthright communications on these vaccine escape events is crucial to earning public trust in this ongoing health issue.
Vaccine Failure Confirmed in New York Times by UK National Institute for Medical Research
Updates reflected on the characterisation sheets from the Ukraine indicate antigenic testing against one of the samples. Of note was the LvivN6 sample from a fatal case with 225G being reported as exhibiting clear vaccine escape signals with a <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11270902/D225G_Evade.html">low reactor</a> status update on the antigenicity profile. That type of information is important news to the world. We would have expected a news conference or a press release prior to the status update as confirmation of the database detail, but no public health notice of that type has occurred.
Today, Donald McNeil of the New York Times is reporting that Britain's NIMR, National Institute for Medical Research, has corroborated the status update of "low reactor" as follows:
"One isolate from Ukraine with the mutation had changed so that swine flu vaccine probably would not protect against it well, Britain?s national medical laboratory reported Friday."
Dr. Henry Niman of Recombinomics is concerned that <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11280901/WHO_D225G_Vac.html">differing opinions have been offered</a> to the public concerning the importance of the D225G polymorphism. We share that concern about the lack of consistent reporting. Moreover, a clear finding is required on antigenicity of the remaining Ukraine sequences with a focus on the remaining three 225G samples. The sequence of interest, LvivN6, is among the least variant of the 4 fatal cases at the HA and shares HA homology with TernopilN11. At the NA, the LvivN6 single SNP impeaches the Neuraminidase segment as an antigen differentiator for this group of sequences due to homology with the remaining three 225G samples.
We would expect a similar finding of "low reactor" on 4 of these sequences if the least variant at NA and HA, LvivN6, showed reduced reaction. If NIMR has, in fact, officially confirmed this vaccine escape event via the New York Times, their lab books may have notations for 3 other 225G Ukraine sequences in the antisera reactivity panels.
Antigenic diversity, whether due to viral response to human immunity, anti-viral selection pressure or vaccine pressure, is a certainty. Additional reporting of data that may be on hand would easily clear this issue as to the exact nature of the diversity in circulation today within ΣPF11.
Twenty-six sequences are on record from several temporal and geographic points in the pandemic carrying paired HA and NA cross-segment linkages to these Ukraine fatal cases, including the item, LvivN6, reported and validated as a "low reactor" to the current pandemic vaccine. Those sequences are seeded throughout major population areas of the world. Forthright communications on these vaccine escape events is crucial to earning public trust in this ongoing health issue.
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