Don't be fooled into thinking that a decrease in the pathogenicity of the virus means we have achieved herd immunity and only need to bother about an annual update, as in the case of seasonal flu vaccines. The reduced pathogenicity we are seeing is due to the protective effect of a new brand of antibodies (i.e., 'non-neutralizing' antibodies). As the latter are weak and not long-lived, they exert immune selection pressure on the very pathogenicity of the virus, which could present us with an even greater health threat in the future.

Are our antibodies still effective against new viruses? Scientists are working hard to understand how our bodies respond to new virus variants, like the Omicron XBB, to ensure we remain protected.

This is the fifth of a ten-part video series summarizing the key messages of vaccinologist Dr. Geert Vanden Bossche's new book, 'The Inescapable Immune Escape Pandemic -- Nobody Can Conceal The Science That Nature Is Now Desperate to Unveil -- Societies in Highly Vaccinated Countries Will Be Caught By Surprise.'