medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.13.20230862; this version posted November 16, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. Lack of immune homology with vaccine preventable pathogens suggests childhood immunizations do not protect against SARS-CoV-2 through adaptive cross-immunity Running title: SARS-CoV-2 immune homology with vaccine pathogens Weihua Guo, Kyle O. Lee, Peter P. Lee* Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA 91010 *Corresponding author:
[email protected] Submitted to Cell Host & Microbes (Theory article) NOTE: This preprint reports new research that has not been certified by peer review and should not be used to guide clinical practice. medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.13.20230862; this version posted November 16, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. Abstract (Summary) Recent epidemiological studies have investigated the potential effects of childhood immunization history on COVID-19 severity. Specifically, prior exposure to Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine, oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV), or measles vaccine have been postulated to reduce COVID-19 severity – putative mechanism is via stimulation of the innate immune system to provide broader protection against non-specific pathogens.