Bivalent Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccine Antibody Responses to Omicron Variants Suggest That Responses to Divergent Variants Would Be Improved With Matched Vaccine Antigens

J Infect Dis. 2023 Aug 16;228(4):439-443. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiad111.

Abstract

We compared neutralizing antibody responses to BA.4/5, BQ.1.1, XBB, and XBB.1.5 Omicron severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variants after a bivalent or ancestral coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) messenger RNA booster vaccine or postvaccination infection. We found that the bivalent booster elicited moderately high antibody titers against BA.4/5 that were approximately 2-fold higher against all Omicron variants than titers elicited by the monovalent booster. The bivalent booster elicited low but similar titers against both XBB and XBB.1.5 variants. These findings inform risk assessments for future COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and suggest that updated COVID-19 vaccines containing matched vaccine antigens to circulating divergent variants may be needed.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine; Omicron; SARS-CoV-2 variants; bivalent COVID-19 vaccine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Antibody Formation*
  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • COVID-19* / prevention & control
  • Humans
  • SARS-CoV-2 / genetics

Substances

  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral

Supplementary concepts

  • SARS-CoV-2 variants