1. Loss of Pfizer (BNT162b2) Vaccine-Induced Antibody Responses against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in Adolescents and Adults
- Author
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Sneh Lata Gupta, Grace Mantus, Kelly E. Manning, Madison Ellis, Mit Patel, Caroline Rose Ciric, Austin Lu, Jackson S. Turner, Jane A. O’Halloran, Rachel M. Presti, Devyani Jaideep Joshi, Ali H. Ellebedy, Evan J. Anderson, Christina A. Rostad, Mehul S. Suthar, and Jens Wrammert
- Subjects
Adult ,Adolescent ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Immunology ,Immunization, Secondary ,COVID-19 ,Antibodies, Viral ,Antibodies, Neutralizing ,Microbiology ,Virology ,Insect Science ,Antibody Formation ,Humans ,Child ,BNT162 Vaccine - Abstract
Emerging variants, especially the recent Omicron variant, and gaps in vaccine coverage threaten mRNA vaccine mediated protection against SARS-CoV-2. While children have been relatively spared by the ongoing pandemic, increasing case numbers and hospitalizations are now evident among children. Thus, it is essential to better understand the magnitude and breadth of vaccine-induced immunity in children against circulating viral variant of concerns (VOCs). Here, we compared the magnitude and breadth of humoral immune responses in adolescents and adults 1 month after the two-dose Pfizer (BNT162b2) vaccination. We found that adolescents (aged 11 to 16) demonstrated more robust binding antibody and neutralization responses against the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein contained in the vaccine compared to adults (aged 27 to 55). The quality of the antibody responses against VOCs in adolescents were very similar to adults, with modest changes in binding and neutralization of Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants. In comparison, a significant reduction of binding titers and a striking lack of neutralization was observed against the newly emerging Omicron variant for both adolescents and adults. Overall, our data show that a two-dose BNT162b2 vaccine series may be insufficient to protect against the Omicron variant.
- Published
- 2022
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