However, vaccination against COVID-19 Still, it’s predicted to provide substantial protection against serious illnesses. And vaccine makers are working to improve the shots that might trigger a stronger immune response against the strain.
Dr Dan Baruch, the report’s author, said: “We observed a three-fold reduction in antibody neutralizing antibody levels resulting from vaccination and infection with BA4 and BA5 compared to BA1 and BA2, which are much lower than conventional COVID-19 strains.” Director of the Virology and Vaccine Research Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston wrote in an email to CNN.
“Our data suggest that these new Omicron sub variants are likely to be able to lead to increased infections in populations with high levels of vaccine immunity, as well as natural BA1 and BA2 immunity,” Barouch wrote. however It is likely that vaccine immunity will continue to provide substantial protection against serious diseases with BA4 and BA5.”
The newly published findings reflect separate research by scientists at Columbia University.
They recently found that BA.4 and BA.5 viruses were more likely to escape antibodies from the blood of fully vaccinated and activated adults compared to other Omicron sub variants, increasing the risk. In Covid-19 infections developed with vaccines
The authors of that separate study said the findings suggest a higher risk of reinfection. even in those who have prior immunity to the virus The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 94.7% of the U.S. population aged 16 and over has antibodies against the coronavirus that cause Covid-19 through vaccination, infection, or both.
BA.4 and BA.5 caused about 35% of new COVID-19 infections in the United States last week, up from 29 percent the week before. According to data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday.
BA.4 and BA.5 are the fastest invasive strains reported to date. and is expected to dominate the spread of Covid-19 in the United States. United Kingdom and other parts of Europe in the coming weeks, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
‘Covid-19 can still mutate’
In a report in the New England Journal of Medicine, among 27 study participants who had been vaccinated and boosted with the vaccine. Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus, researchers found two weeks after stimulant administration The levels of neutralizing antibodies to the Omicron sub variants were much lower. Responding to the original corona virus
Neutral antibody levels were decreased by a factor of 6.4 compared to BA.1; by a factor of 7 compared to BA.2; by a factor of 14.1 vs. BA.2.12.1 and 21 vs. BA.4 or BA.5, the researchers explained.
Among 27 participants who had previously been infected with BA.1 or BA.2 variants at a median of 29 days prior. The researchers found similar results.
in people who were previously infected most of which have been vaccinated The researchers described neutralizing antibody levels as lower than 6.4 compared to BA.1; by a factor of 5.8 compared to BA.2; by a factor of 9.6 vs. BA.2.12.1 and 18.7 vs. BA.4 or BA.5.
More research is needed to determine what neutral antibody levels mean for vaccine efficacy. And will similar findings occur in larger groups of participants?
“Our data suggest that COVID-19 continues to have the ability to mutate. This results in increased transmission and increased escape of antibodies,” Barouch wrote in an email. It is important that we be careful and continue to study new variables and subvariants as they arise.”
A separate study published last week in the journal Nature found that Omicron may have evolved a mutation to evade immunity caused by previous BA. Based on BA.1, may not be broadly protected. New Omicron variants such as BA.4 and BA.5
For all of this in the real world, Dr. Wesley Long, an experimental pathologist at Houston Methodist Hospital, told CNN: People should be aware that they can get sick again. even if they have been infected with COVID-19 before.
“I think I’m a little worried about who it was. Perhaps there is a growing misconception about safety with BA.4 and BA.5 because we have seen some cases of re-infection and I have seen some. cases of re-infection with people with the BA.2 variant in the past few months,” he said.
Some vaccine makers have developed specific, variable vaccines to improve antibody responses to coronavirus strains and their variants of concern.
“Re-infection will be inevitable until we have a vaccine or widespread directive that will prevent more cases from happening again. But the good news is that we are in a better place where we don’t have a vaccine,” said Pavitra Roychoudhury, an acting professor at the University of Washington’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, who was not affiliated with the New England Journal of Medicine.
“There is so much this virus it seems inevitable,” she said of the COVID-19 infection. “Hopefully the protection we have will lead to mild infections.”
Currently in the process of updating the COVID-19 vaccine.
covid-19 vaccine booster Moderna’s bivalent type, mRNA-1273.214. It triggers a “potential” immune response to Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5, the company said Wednesday.
The bivalent adjuvant vaccine contains both Moderna’s original COVID-19 vaccine and the Omicron variant targeting vaccine. by requesting that the components of the supplemental vaccine be updated to mRNA-1273.214
“In the face of the continued evolution of SARS-CoV-2, we are strongly encouraged that mRNA-1273.214 which is our main contributor for the fall season. A high level of neutralization was shown to the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, indicating their emergence. A global public health threat,” Moderna Chief Executive Stefan Banzel said in Wednesday’s announcement, SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
“We will promptly send this information to regulators. And is preparing to supply our next generation of bivalent stimulants starting in August. First, the likely increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections was due to the Omicron sub variants in early fall,” Bancel said.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Related Biological Products will meet next week to discuss the composition of the COVID-19 vaccine. That can be used as a trigger this fall.
The information Moderna published Wednesday, which has not yet been published in the journal. peer-reviewed showed that one month after the vaccine A dose of 50 mcg mRNA-1273.214 was injected in vaccinated subjects and the vaccine released a “potential” neutralizing antibody response to BA.4 and BA.5 enhanced levels 5.4-fold in participants. All regardless of whether they’ve ever been infected with COVID-19. or not and a 6.3-fold increase in the subgroup of people with no previous infection history. The levels of these neutralized antibodies were about three times lower than the previously reported neutralization levels of BA.1, Moderna said.
The findings add to information Moderna published earlier this month. It was shown that a 50 mcg dose of bivalent stimulant produced a stronger antibody response to Omicron than the original Moderna vaccine.
Moderna’s data indicates that “Bivalent adjuvant may provide better protection against omicron strains BA.4 and BA.5 than conventional vaccine administration to increase protection across the population. although the data were based on antibody levels. but companies commented that similar levels of antibodies protected from clinical illnesses caused by other strains was the first suggestion of ‘correlated immunity’ of defense Although it is hoped that this ongoing study will assess clinical morbidity rates and antibody responses,” Penny Ward, an independent pharmaceutical physician and guest professor of pharmaceuticals at King’s College London, said in a statement published by Science. Media Center in the UK on Wednesday. She is not related to Moderna’s work.
“It has been previously reported that bivalent vaccines are well tolerated with adverse effects. Temporary ‘reactogenic’, similar to post-injection of a single booster. So we can speculate that this new combination vaccine should be well tolerated,” Ward said in part. “As we head into fall, with omicron strains dominating the coronavirus landscape. Of course, this new bivalent vaccine should be considered, if available.”
CNN’s Brenda Goodman contributed to the report.
