Pfizer-BioNTech today reported the first initial results of studies examining how effective vaccines are in protecting against the rapidly spreading virus. Omicron different. The companies say that adding a booster to the two-dose vaccine regimen neutralizes the Omicron variant in laboratory studies.
In a press release, the companies note that while two doses of their COVID-19 vaccine showed reduced protection against Omicron, a booster dose significantly increased that protection. Blood samples from those who received the booster vaccine showed a level of neutralizing antibodies against Omicron 25 times higher than the serum of those vaccinated with just two doses. Essentially, the booster brought the levels of these antibodies against the virus back to the levels seen after two doses against the original strain. The more stable immune responses involving T cells were also higher than those of Omicrons after the booster dose.
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The findings, although preliminary, are encouraging for a number of reasons. First, they suggest that current vaccines can continue to protect against new variant. The researchers still don’t know how dangerous Omicron is – they continue to study the transmissibility of this variant, as well as whether it causes more severe disease or evades vaccine protection. Results of those studies are expected soon. Until then, these findings suggest that existing vaccines can still hinder Omicron — as long as people get a booster dose. Preliminary results show that just two doses are not enough; After two doses, the immune system produced a significantly lower amount of antibodies that could neutralize Omicron.
“The data very clearly show the value of a third dose,” said BioNTech CEO and co-founder Uger Sahin during a meeting discussing the results. “Given the available data on the Omicron variant, it is clear that our vaccine for the Omicron variant should be a three-dose vaccine. The best [strategy] now to ensure the protection will be injected again, thus improving the antibody level, [and] improved T-cell levels, correlating with better protection against currently circulating Delta [variant] and what we believe will also translate to better protection against the Omicron variant. “
The findings come with caveats. Studies were not performed with direct samples of Omicron variant, but with a lab-made version of the virus. Although it contains the same mutations, it is still a representation of the actual virus. Sahin said the researchers plan to conduct similar studies with live Omicron samples in the coming weeks.
While it’s unclear exactly how current vaccines continue to protect against new variants like Omicron, immunologists say the quality of the antibodies produced against the virus continues to evolve. develops and improves with each exposure or dose of vaccine. That means doses targeted against earlier versions of the virus may also continue to provide protection against newer variants.
However, Pfizer and BioNTech, as well as other vaccine manufacturers, are developing a new vaccine designed to specifically target the Omicron variant. The mRNA technology behind Pfizer-BioNTech’s injection is flexible enough that scientists hope to create a new vaccine in about six weeks and test it several months later. BioNTech expects the first batches of the Omicron vaccine to be on the market by March, if needed and authorized by regulatory authorities.
“The manufacturing process itself will remain the same,” Sierk Poetting, chief executive officer of BioNTech, said at a press conference about the potential production of the Omicron vaccine. “The only thing that will change is… the design of the new variant. In addition, all production steps, mRNA, lipid formulation, filler and finish, will be exactly the same. “
