with new emerging strains of the corona virus, are the original vaccines i took no longer beneficial for my immune system?

Submitted by pewpewhadouken t3_zenrlj in askscience

sorry for the long post - i’ve just been offered my 4th booster (which i will take) - but was curious if the mrna vaccines i took in the past still be in “memory” for my immune system? would someone with all previous vaccines be in a better situation than someone who just got the most recent?

friend claims the previous vaccines no longer amount to anything and that the virus is essentially not a big threat - his proof being federal governments are allowing unvaccinated people back into work.

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Em_Adespoton t1_iz88n1b wrote

SARS-COV-19 is no longer a threat to the government— for the most part hospitals can now handle the constant stream of COVID cases (although in combination with the record flu and RSV numbers, the combination may cause issues over December).

This says nothing about risk to an individual.

As for the variants, keeping boosted means your immune system is keeping on the alert for COVID type infections. The latest strain may have mutated past where the bivalent booster will recognize it, but your immune system is still on high alert AND you’re still mostly protected against the older strains, which still exist.

But over December, you’re probably best served by wearing a mask in public (to protect others), keep a reasonable distance from others, wash your hands regularly, and stop touching your face.

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wanted_to_upvote t1_iz8hvnp wrote

There is new research that shows wearing a mask outside during cold may protect the wearer from respiratory viruses since very cold air reduces the effectiveness of the nasal passages immune protection significantly.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/06/health/why-winter-colds-flu-wellness/index.html

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Mammoth-Mud-9609 t1_iz93lma wrote

Masks do have other benefits though, firstly they keep your face warm and secondly, they reduce they reduce the amount of traffic fumes making it into the lungs.

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Srs_Bizz t1_izbr06y wrote

Generally speaking, masks can reduce certain-sized particulate matter, but have no effect on fumes until you get a serious one like a PAPR w/ chem cartridge, gas mask, SCBA, etc. Even an N-95 would not stop fumes.

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SolidElk5634 t1_iz9nrwh wrote

They are still beneficial, your immune system will still recognize the new strains of Covid faster than someone who hasn’t had any vaccinations. The main goal with Covid is to keep it out of your lungs, and the quicker your immune system recognizes it, the more likely your lungs will stay clear. You might feel bloody awful for a few days but you will most likely recover without hospitalization.
That said, getting an updated booster is a very good idea, as most of the strains circulating in the world right now are some form of omicron, which is covered by a booster. The faster your immune system activates, the better off you are.

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[deleted] t1_iz87yyc wrote

[deleted]

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Yalay t1_iz89oup wrote

The original strain - which is the basis of the vaccines - is not still out there. I mean that it is literally extinct.

With that being said, the current variants evolved from the original strain, and they still have many similarities. Getting a vaccine for the original strain will offer some protection against the current variants.

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wanted_to_upvote t1_iz8hzm0 wrote

When a new strain infects others more effectively the older strains go extinct.

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