Researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Danderyd Hospital have revealed promising results from their latest study on the updated COVID-19 vaccine’s efficacy against various SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the dominant and highly mutated Omicron strains.
This study is a part of the ongoing COMMUNITY study, initiated in spring 2020, involving regular testing of 2,149 staff members at Danderyd Hospital.
The recent leg of the study, conducted in autumn and set for publication in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, focused on 24 participants, mostly over 64 years old, who had received four or five previous vaccine doses.
These findings, currently accessible on the pre-print server bioRxiv, highlight a significant development in COVID-19 vaccinations.
Unlike previous vaccine updates that included both the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and Omicron, resulting in a stronger response to the former, the new vaccine exclusively targets the Omicron variants.
This shift is crucial as Omicron variants, including the XBB variant and its sub-variants, have become globally dominant. However, concerns were raised about the vaccine’s effectiveness against newer, more mutated strains like BA.2.86.
The study’s results are encouraging, showing a tenfold increase in antibodies against not only the XBB variant but also against newer strains like BA.2.86.
Charlotte Thålin, a researcher at Karolinska Institutet, remarked on the broad antibody response induced by the new vaccine, attributing it to its specific targeting of Omicron variants, which are significantly different from the original virus.
Ulrika Marking, the paper’s first author and a doctoral student at Karolinska Institutet, noted an unexpectedly sharp rise in neutralizing antibodies against all new variants tested.
This suggests cross-protection against new variants, supporting recommendations for older people and those at risk for influenza and COVID-19 to get vaccinated.
The COMMUNITY study, a collaborative effort among Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, the Swedish Public Health Agency, Uppsala University, and SciLifeLab, continues to provide crucial insights into the evolving landscape of COVID-19 and vaccine efficacy.
Final publication in The Lancet Infectious Diseases may include minor changes to the scientific article.
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The research findings can be found in bioRxiv.
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