Could Vaccines Make Omicron Infection Worse? Scientists Weigh in on Antibody Dependent Enhancement

Could Vaccines Make Omicron Infection Worse? Scientists Weigh in on Antibody Dependent Enhancement
The word "COVID-19" is reflected in a drop on a syringe needle in this illustration taken on Nov. 9, 2020. Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters
Jennifer Margulis
Joe Wang
Updated:
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In October 2020, when the world was under the dark cloud of COVID-19, and the United States was in the midst of massive political upheaval, some scientists were working hard to make sense of the virus. Others were trying to figure out effective treatment and public health protocols. Others, knowing the ongoing expedited vaccine development might compromise safety, tried to warn us of the risk of a phenomenon called Antibody Dependent Enhancement, or ADE. ADE happens when non-neutralizing antibodies generated from vaccination exacerbate viral infection, making the disease the vaccine is supposed to prevent worse for some people.
Of particular note was an article by an international team of scientists, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.
Jennifer Margulis, Ph.D., is an award-winning journalist and author of “Your Baby, Your Way: Taking Charge of Your Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Parenting Decisions for a Happier, Healthier Family.” A Fulbright awardee and mother of four, she has worked on a child survival campaign in West Africa, advocated for an end to child slavery in Pakistan on prime-time TV in France, and taught post-colonial literature to nontraditional students in inner-city Atlanta. Learn more about her at JenniferMargulis.net
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