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. 2022 Jun 29:2:76.
doi: 10.1038/s43856-022-00141-4. eCollection 2022.

Booster dose of BNT162b2 after two doses of CoronaVac improves neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant

Guilherme R F Campos  1 , Nathalie Bonatti Franco Almeida  2 , Priscilla Soares Filgueiras  2 , Camila Amormino Corsini  2 , Sarah Vieira Contin Gomes  2 , Daniel Alvim Pena de Miranda  2 , Jéssica Vieira de Assis  2 , Thaís Bárbara de Souza Silva  3 , Pedro Augusto Alves  3 , Gabriel da Rocha Fernandes  2 , Jaquelline Germano de Oliveira  4 , Paula Rahal  5 , Rafaella Fortini Queiroz Grenfell  2   6 , Maurício L Nogueira  1   7   8
Affiliations

Booster dose of BNT162b2 after two doses of CoronaVac improves neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant

Guilherme R F Campos et al. Commun Med (Lond). .

Abstract

Background: The emergence of the new SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, which is known to have a large number of mutations when compared to other variants, brought to light the concern about vaccine escape, especially from the neutralization by antibodies induced by vaccination.

Methods: Based on viral microneutralization assays, we evaluated in 90 individuals the impact on antibody neutralization induction, against Omicron variant, by a booster dose of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine after the CoronaVac primary vaccination scheme.

Results: Here we show that the percentage of seroconverted individuals 30 and 60 days after CoronaVac scheme was 16.6% and 10%, respectively. After booster dose administration, the seroconvertion rate increased to 76.6%. The neutralization mean titer against Omicron in the CoronaVac protocol decreased over time, but after the booster dose, the mean titer increased 43.1 times.

Conclusions: These results indicate a positive impact of this vaccine combination in the serological immune response against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant.

Keywords: Viral infection; Virology.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interestsThe authors declare the following competing interests: M.L.N. has received research grants from Instituto Butantan, Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., Medicago R&D Inc, and Pfizer/BioNTech SE. The other authors declare that they have no competing interests to disclose at this time.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Viral microneutralization assay against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant.
Neutralizing antibody titers were determined using serum samples collected: 30 days after CoronaVac second dose (D30); 60 days after CoronaVac second dose (D60); 270 days after CoronaVac second dose and 30 days after BNT162b2 booster (D270). For each group, N = 30 biologically independent samples. The dark gray circles represent the included participants, and the 50% neutralizing titer (VNT50) for each sample was assayed using the Omicron variant live virus (HIAE—W.A). The blue bars represent the VNT50 mean values. The black dashed line represents the lower limit of detection (LOD), determined in this assay as 20, while red dashed line represents booster dose time point (D270). The percentage of seroconverted samples, for each group, is indicated in the graph. The statistical analysis was obtained by one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s multiple comparisons test, and the three asterisks represent the p value < 0.0001.
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