Original Antigenic Sin as Related to Covid Vaccines

In Christian theology, ‘original sin’ pertains to Adam & Eve’s disobedience to God’s command not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. But the concept goes deeper than that. 1690’s New England Primer sums up the Genesis story this way; “In Adam’s fall, we sinned all” (see also ROMANS 5:12). In other words, Adam’s transgression not only resulted in his spiritual death and separation from God, but in those same consequences being passed on to his family and descendants (GENESIS 2-3).

In 1960, the virologist/epidemiologist, who in the 1930’s uncovered the fact that there are numerous strains (epitopes) of flu virus, and subsequently spent his career creating vaccines against — Thomas Francis Jr — described a phenomenon that he had long-observed in his University of Michigan lab. Being the son of a Presbyterian pastor, he cleverly named his finding “Original Antigenic Sin”. A RECENT PAPER (Original Antigenic Sin: How Original? How Sinful?) characterized the key points of OAS thusly……

“Humanity was in for a few surprises. First, even in the 1930s, it became clear that IAV [Influenza Type A Virus] isolates, unlike other viruses or bacterial pathogens known at the time, varied antigenically over time when tested with antisera derived from infected patients or animals. Second, by the mid-1940s, IAV had varied sufficiently to enable it to completely evade protection following vaccination with a 1934 strain. Third, in the early 1950s, it was found that individuals had a strong tendency to possess higher antibody (Ab) titers against IAV strains they were exposed to as children than to more recently circulating strains.”

So; beyond his coming to the realization that there are numerous strains of the Type A flu virus, and that these are in a constant state of genetic flux/mutation, what other fact of virology / immunology did Dr Francis uncover? Namely, that the strain of flu virus people were exposed to first in childhood, whether via vaccination or infection, results in an immune response whereby whatever flu strain(s) they happen to be exposed to in the future; they create the most significant immune / antibody response against their original infection. Francis himself put it this way in his 1960 paper, On the Doctrine of Original Antigenic Sin….

“The antibody of childhood is largely a response to the dominant antigen of the virus causing the first Type A influenza infection of the lifetime. As the group grows older and subsequent infections take place antibodies to additional families of virus are acquired. But the striking feature is that the antibody which is first established continues to characterize that cohort of the population through its lifetime. The antibody-forming mechanisms have been highly conditioned by the first stimulus, so that later infections with strains of the same type successively enhance the original antibody to maintain it at the highest level at all times in that age group. The imprint established by the original virus infection governs the antibody response thereafter…..”

I will come back to the concept of what it means to “enhance the original antibody” in a moment, but right now let’s discuss the implications of OAS (aka ‘linked epitope suppression‘ or ‘viral imprinting‘) as related to immunity against flu viruses.

One of the chief distinctives of flu viruses is that they are ridiculously mutable, meaning they have an almost science fiction-like ability to alter their genetic code (HERE) in order to escape threats to survival. One of the painfully obvious results of influenza’s mutability is seen in our nation’s annual ‘War on Flu’. Think for a moment how impotent the government’s annual anti-influenza campaigns have become in relationship to the amount of time, energy and tax dollars spent trying to compel a wary public to buy in (HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE). After all, how many times can you warn people that this years flu season is shaping up to be the worst ever?

Let’s now move this concept of mutability affecting flu vaccines another step forward.

One of the lead proponents and researchers for a universal flu vaccine has been University of Michigan Epidemiologist, Arnold Monto. Dr. Monto was lead author OF A STUDY concerning this very topic. Pay attention to these two sentences from the abstract…..

“Then, approximately 40 years ago, it was observed that sequential influenza vaccination might lead to reduced vaccine effectiveness (VE)….. Recent observations have provided convincing evidence that reduced VE after sequential influenza vaccination is a real phenomenon.”

First, realize that sequential influenza vaccination simply means getting your flu shot exactly as the government recommends. Annually. Every year. Year after year after year after year….. Secondly, what have we been witnessing in the world of flu vaccines over the past four-plus decades?

For starters we see that regular flu vaccinations do not readily translate into better immunity (see previous series of links). We’ve seen that “genetic drift” (genetic mutation) is an enormous and ever-expanding problem (HERE). We’ve seen VE’s that at times approach zero (HERE, HERE & HERE). And because of this fact we’ve actually seen calls for multiple flu shots annually (CALL THEM “BOOSTERS” IF YOU LIKE). Furthermore, we’ve seen claims that the manufacturing process is inherently flawed (HERE), resulting in either poor VE or “HOT BATCHES” (a phenomenon reminiscent of the old DPT shots that we are seeing right now with the covid vaccines).

Furthermore, we’ve heard enough discussion about viral imprinting (Original Antigenic Sin) from the flu vaccine industry and their mouthpieces to realize that it has become a serious problem in its own right — yet another in the long list of pharma’s excuses for such poor VE (HERE). And finally, we’ve seen that when it comes to flu; vaccination in consecutive years dramatically weakens subsequent year’s immune responses / VE (HERE & HERE) — just as Dr Monto described above (“reduced VE after sequential influenza vaccination“).

Simply stated, it’s one of those dirty little secrets (albeit an open one) that flu vaccines are not doing what they were intended or purported to do, and haven’t for a long time (HERE). However, I don’t have to remind you that the issue at hand is not influenza but covid. How are these two virus related, what exactly is Covid-19, and what should the former be teaching us about the latter?

Officially named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), Covid-19, while not an influenza virus, shares several common traits, including the most significant — an extremely high propensity for genetic mutation (HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE are some studies). The opening of July’s issue of Cytokine Growth Factor Review (SARS-CoV-2 Mutations and their Viral Variants) had this to say…..

“Mutations in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) occur spontaneously during replication. Thousands of mutations have accumulated and continue to since the emergence of the virus. As novel mutations continue appearing at the scene, naturally, new variants are increasingly observed.” [emphasis mine]

As we move further and further away from early 2020, we are seeing expanding numbers of these covid epitopes or “variants,” exactly, as noted above, as we would “increasingly” expect to find.

Think about this fact as it relates to the common cold.

The biggest reason that there is not a vaccine for the common cold (not for lack of trying) is that the causal viruses (RHINO & CORONA) are, as you would expect from our discussion thus far, highly mutable. And face it; when it comes to the covid vaccines, viral mutability is the number one reason we continue to see, genetically speaking, a rapidly widening gap between the original infection/vaccine/boosters and the “variant du jour” (currently Omicron). No longer the elephant in the room, it has become self-evident that this gap is causing a precipitous drop in VE for the various covid vaccines. In fact, many would call it a (gulp) failure (HERE).

I realize that “failure” is a strong word, but ask yourself this; is there visible/tangible proof of diminishing returns and decreased efficacy in our covid vaccines right now — at this very moment?

Although headlines and data abound (HERE is an example from New York, the state with the highest rate of vaccination against covid), nowhere is this failure more visible than in the world of professional sports — a world with an almost 100% vaccination rate. Think about it this way; if you don’t want to be vaccinated, you can ride the pine and watch someone else take your place. And your multi-million dollar paycheck.

After postponing three football games two weeks ago (the Cleveland Browns had about 40% of their 46-man active roster in “virus protocol”), NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, changed the league’s testing procedures to make it possible for covid-positive players to play (HERE). Additionally, the NHL has temporarily suspended play (HERE) and will not be going to the Winter Olympics in February because of covid (HERE), the NBA (HERE) has numerous “fully-vaccinated” (and boosted) players testing positive (HERE).

And none of this even begins to address the staggeringly high numbers of elite athletes from around the world who are inexplicably collapsing and/or dying of heart inflammation and cardiac failure (HERE or HERE), in many cases during competition. The world of professional sports has shown us the liklihood that there is some kind of interplay between genetic drift and Original Antigenic Sin taking place.

But let’s ask another question; could the problem go even deeper? In a simple answer, yes. Allow me to bring the conversation back around to the four words I promised to return to earlier; “enhance the original antibody“. These four words sound suspiciously like something known within the scientific community as Antibody Dependent Enhancement or ADE.

Dr. Derek Lowe DESCRIBED ADE thusly; “The simple definition of ADE is ‘raising antibodies that don’t protect, but actually make a viral infection even worse’. And obviously, that’s the opposite of what you want.” CHOP put it this way. “ADE occurs when the antibodies generated during an immune response recognize and bind to a pathogen, but they are unable to prevent infection. Instead, these antibodies act as a ‘Trojan horse,’ allowing the pathogen to get into cells and exacerbate the immune response.”

Although I am not going to get into the nitty-gritty details here (click the first link if interested), suffice it to say that there is abundant evidence, both anecdotal and from peer-review, that ADE might be taking place here and now, in our very midst, and despite any comment from Dr Fauci or the CDC.

To falsify/verify this claim, let’s first make a list of what is known about ADE…..

• ADE is not in any ways a new phenomenon (HERE, HERE, and HERE).

• ADE can occur in influenza viruses (HERE).

• ADE can occur in corona viruses, there are numerous known mechanisms, and in a world with ADE, boosters will actually worsen the situation (HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and arguably more important to today’s discussion, HERE, HERE and HERE).

Although I have no expertise in immunology, virology or epidemiology, let’s do a bit of speculating and end today’s discussion by asking ourselves one more simple question; If Original Antigenic Sin and/or Antibody Dependent Enhancement were occurring, what would it look like?

I asked my brilliant friend, DR ALEX VASQUEZ (DO, DC, ND, researcher, educator, vaccine expert) this very question without showing him the draft of this paper. His answer? We would see exactly what we are living through right now; namely vaccines that are failing at a staggering rate. Failing? Yes, failing. Simply read this recent study’s conclusions if you think I am being unfair or hyperbolic; Increases in COVID-19 are Unrelated to Levels of Vaccination Across 68 Countries and 2947 Counties in the United States, published in the SEPTEMBER 30 ISSUE of the European Journal of Epidemiology.

Dr. V SUMMED UP the findings thusly…..

“This data from 68 countries and 2947 American counties shows that more vaccination correlates with more cases of Cv19 infection; this is exactly opposite to the ‘policy narrative’ but consistent with WHO statements that ‘A vaccine on its own will not end the pandemic'”

In the same manner that the consequences of original sin are generational, so likewise might be the consequences of Original Antigenic Sin, particularly as related to ADE — the rotten fruit of “BOOSTING” our collective immune systems over and over and over again with a vaccine/virus that relentlessly continues to distance itself genetically from whatever variant happens to be in the news cycle this month. Thus, we cannot be surprised to see growing numbers of headlines like these from last week (HERE or HERE).