A new article suggests that secondary antibodies known as ‘anti-idiotype antibodies’ could be responsible for some of the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines and the symptoms of long-haul COVID.

While the vaccines have been critical in pandemic control, researchers are still learning how and how well they work. This is especially true with the emergence of new viral variants and the rare vaccine side effects like allergic reactions, heart inflammation (myocarditis) and blood-clotting (thrombosis).

Critical questions about the infection itself also remain. Approximately one in four COVID-19 patients have lingering symptoms, even after recovering from the virus. These symptoms, known as «long COVID,» and the vaccines’ off-target side effects are thought to be due to a patient’s immune response.

In an article published today in The New England Journal of Medicine, the UC Davis Vice Chair of Research and Distinguished Professor of Dermatology and Internal Medicine William Murphy and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School Dan Longo present a possible explanation to the diverse immune responses to the virus and the vaccines.

Antibodies mimicking the virus

Drawing upon classic immunological concepts, Murphy and Longo suggest that the Network Hypothesis by Nobel Laureate Niels Jerne might offer insights.

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Materials provided by University of California — Davis Health. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.