Anybody for antibodies? Japanese TV lamely attempts to flog boosters
The joint Pfizer-Moderna Japanese marketing division (aka Japanese TV) is worried that younger Japanese aren’t doing enough to deplete the doubtlessly enormous vaccine stockpile held by the joint Pfizer-Moderna Japanese sales office (aka the Japanese government). For example, despite the best efforts of regional sales rep Governor Omura, fewer than 20% of Aichi Prefecture residents in their 20s and 30s had been boosted by 31st March.
Of course, since there’s no high quality data to point to as evidence of merit, Japanese TV (full segment and transcription here) pointed to low quality data instead: antibody titters (ATs). Well, the jabs can certainly be said to be anti-body.
The guinea pig was a 26-year-old journalist double-jabbed last July and getting her third shot of Moderna. She had her ATs measured before and after the booster.
So after getting her booster and surviving The Devil’s Two Weeks, what were her results?
Wow, from 856.3 to 24,934.7, 30 times higher! So what does this mean?
“It is said that antibody titters above 6350 offer 99% protection from infection.”
I’m sure the legal department is satisfied with the fantastic use of the passive voice there.
By the way, how true is it that higher antibodies = higher protection? [Source]
Oh well.
But in case meaningless metrics can’t gull da yoof into taking another shot, the Japanese government has another incentive: event discounts for the boosted!
Well, you know what they say: third time’s a harm.
