In a new study from Columbia University, researchers found more evidence that the omicron variant can evade the immune protection conferred by vaccines and natural infection.
The finding suggests the need for new vaccines and treatments that anticipate how the virus may soon evolve.
A striking feature of the omicron variant is the alarming number of changes in the virus’s spike protein that could pose a threat to the effectiveness of current vaccines and therapeutic antibodies.
In the study, the team tested the ability of antibodies generated by vaccination to neutralize the omicron variant.
They found antibodies from people double-vaccinated with any of the four most widely used vaccines—Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson—were much less effective at neutralizing the omicron variant compared to the ancestral virus.
Antibodies from previously infected individuals were even less likely to neutralize omicron.
Individuals who received a booster shot of either of the two mRNA vaccines are likely to be better protected, although even their antibodies exhibited diminished neutralizing activity against omicron.
The new results suggest that previously infected individuals and fully vaccinated individuals are at risk for infection with the omicron variant.
The team says even a third booster shot may not adequately protect against omicron infection, but of course, it is advisable to get one, as you’ll still benefit from some immunity.
The results are consistent with other neutralization studies, as well as early epidemiological data from South Africa and the U.K.
These studies showed the efficacy of two doses of the vaccines against symptomatic disease is strongly reduced against the omicron variant.
When administered early in the course of infection, monoclonal antibodies can prevent many individuals from developing severe COVID.
But the new study suggests that all of the therapies currently in use and most in development are much less effective against omicron if they work at all.
The team also identified four new spike mutations in omicron that help the virus evade antibodies. This information should inform the design of new approaches to combat the new variant.
If you care about the COVID, please read studies about why some people are less naturally resistant to COVID-19, and the drug that could block multiple COVID-19 variants.
For more information about the pandemic, please see recent studies about people can lose 80% of their COVID-19 immunity 6 months after Pfizer shot, and results showing that COVID-19 vaccine booster could effectively protect those 60 and older.
The study was posted on bioRxiv. One author of the study is David Ho, MD.
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