Antibodies induced by vaccination and infection are less effective against the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the omicron
The subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 of the omicron are more likely to evade antibodies developed by those who have already contracted Covid-19 or are immunized against the disease than other strains of the coronavirus. The data is from a study by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centerfrom the Harvard Medical School.
The research was published on Wednesday (June 22, 2022) in New England Journal of Medicine. Here’s the intactin English (395 KB).
The researchers analyzed the level of antibodies in 27 participants with 3 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech anti-covid vaccine. They found that, two weeks after the booster dose, the levels of neutralizing antibodies against the subvariants of the omicron were “much lower” than those against the original coronavirus.
The study analyzed data from a further 27 participants, infected with the BA.1 or BA.2 subvariants for an average of 29 days. Of this group, only 1 had not been vaccinated against covid-19. The researchers found similar results.
According to them, “data show that the subvariants BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 substantially escape neutralizing antibodies induced by vaccination and infection”. The conclusion, they said, indicates that “Sars-CoV-2 continued to evolve” for “escape neutralization”.
The BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants have caused worldwide concern due to the high level of infection, although they are less lethal compared to the delta variant. According to report of the ITpS (All for Health Institute) released on June 10, strains may be responsible for up to 44% of Covid-19 cases in Brazil in recent weeks.
VACCINE AGAINST SUBVARIANTS
The American pharmaceutical Modern announced on Wednesday data on successful outcomes of a vaccine with immunization for Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.
The application of the bivalent immunizer in patients showed a performance 5.4 times higher in the production of neutralizing antibodies in relation to the traditional vaccine for the disease, including among volunteers who were not infected by the virus.
“We will present this data to regulatory agencies as a matter of urgency and are preparing to deliver our next generation of bivalent booster starting in August in the US, ahead of a potential increase in Sars-CoV-2 infections due to the subvariant omicron in early fall of the year. North hemisphere” said Moderna’s executive director, Stéphane Bancel.
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