Was there even a shred of scientific truth to this belief? — As a Malaysian, I’m surprised that Malaysia is one of the top countries whose people believe vaccines cause autism (Figure 1). Perhaps we are just not as vocal in voicing this issue, giving the illusion that vaccine hesitancy isn’t prevalent here. The Ipsos Mori Perils of Perception Survey conducted 29,133…

A newsletter providing a short account of the articles published in the previous month. — Hello everyone! It’s time for me to send another monthly update on the articles published in Microbial Instincts, an independent publication about infectious diseases and vaccines, in February 2023. As usual, here is the list (friend-linked, no paywall) that I hope will keep you more scientifically informed:

The risk of stroke seems to apply to Pfizer’s bivalent mRNA + high-dose or adjuvanted influenza co-vaccination only. — It began with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s recent announcement (13 Jan) of a safety signal of increased stroke risk following the bivalent mRNA vaccine in those over 65 years. That’s a bold move, per their statement that “transparency and vaccine…

Let’s evaluate both sides of the argument and see. — Earlier this year, an opinion article in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) argued that the Covid-19 vaccines might have been driving the evolution of XBB, the latest successful Omicron subvariant. Is there any truth in this hypothesis, though? Let’s evaluate both sides of the argument and see. This hypothesis is…

Hello everyone! It’s time for me to send another monthly update on the articles published in Microbial Instincts, an independent publication about infectious diseases and vaccines, in January 2023. As usual, here is the list (friend-linked, no paywall) that I hope will keep you more scientifically informed: Vaccines Controversial IgG4 Study…

It’s false to assume that mRNA and protein levels are strongly correlated. — A new generation of genetic-based vaccines has been deployed against the Covid-19 pandemic, which is designed to deliver spike protein-encoding mRNA or DNA genetic code into our cells. Our cells then transcribe and translate the genetic code into actual spike proteins, which are then expressed on the cell surface, recognizable…

Group behavioral differences, immune imprinting, and IgG4 class switch all seem to be involved. — In a daring yet transparent move, a new study from Cleveland Clinic — a non-profit academic medical center and one of America’s best hospitals — produced a disturbing figure showing that the more vaccine shots you get, the higher your risk of Covid (Figure 1):

And what it means for IgG4-related diseases and cancer. — Back in July 2022, a preprint finding a rise in IgG4 antibodies after repeated mRNA vaccination was used by the anti-vaccine community as proof that mRNA vaccines impair immunity against Covid-19. Now that the preprint was formally published in Science Immunology last month, a similar anti-vaccine movement has resurfaced, additionally…

A newsletter providing a short account of the articles published in the previous month — Happy New Year everyone! It’s time for me to send another monthly update on the articles published in Microbial Instincts, an independent publication about infectious diseases and vaccines, in December. As usual, here is the list (friend-linked, no paywall) that I hope will keep you more scientifically informed: