Thread by @CathJSweeney

I had a helpful conversation with Dr. Aaron Wendelboe, a professor at OUHSC and former state epidemiologist, about waning antibodies this morning. Here's a little thread for anyone interested. #okhealth

We keep hearing that after six months, you don't have "circulating antibodies anymore." That does not mean your immunity is gone.

It is normal, for any disease response, to lose those circulating antibodies. They aren't your only defense.

Wendelboe: After 6 months, vaccines still help. "You have memory cells, and those memory cells, when they get re-exposed to a pathogen, they will make those antibodies (they learned from the vaccine) and they will make those killer T-cells, and they will mount the response."

Wendelboe: The new variants are "replicating so fast... that's the primary reason why people are getting infected — they can infect you before your memory cells have a chance to kick in. But they're still blunting some of that risk of getting hospitalized or severe illness."

Wendelboe: Someone who has never been immunized, it's going to take about two weeks for their body to mount an attack. For the vaccinated, it's just a few days. The response coming sooner makes a huge difference. Here's why:

Wendelboe: "It's not just like a linear increase because the way viral replication works is exponential." Your body is fighting way more virus after nine days.

This is dumb but the analogy seems to me (the not-epidemiologist) is this. There are two sides fighting a battle. Your side doesn't grow — same number of guys til backup comes. The other side is multiplying consistently. Having your backup come sooner means fighting fewer guys.

Getting your booster means good backup shows up quick. Getting your initial shots and being more than six months out means you still get back up, but it takes them longer to get there. No vaccine means very little backup and they come way later.