mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 mRNA vaccines have reduced neutralizing activity against the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant

Venkata-Viswanadh Edara; Kelly E Manning; Madison Ellis; Lilin Lai; Kathryn M Moore; Stephanie L Foster; Katharine Floyd; Meredith E Davis-Gardner; Grace Mantus; Lindsay E Nyhoff; Sarah Bechnak; Ghina Alaaeddine; Amal Naji; Hady Samaha; Matthew Lee; Laurel Bristow; Matthew Gagne; Jesmine Roberts-Torres; Amy R Henry; Sucheta Godbole; Arash Grakoui; Marybeth Saxton; Anne Piantadosi; Jesse J Waggoner; Daniel C Douek; Nadine Rouphael; Jens Wrammert; Mehul S Suthar

doi:10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100529

mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 mRNA vaccines have reduced neutralizing activity against the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant

Cell Rep Med. 2022 Jan 24;3(2):100529. doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100529. eCollection 2022 Feb 15.

Authors

Venkata-Viswanadh Edara^{1

2

3}, Kelly E Manning^{1

2

3}, Madison Ellis^{1

2

3}, Lilin Lai^{1

2

3}, Kathryn M Moore^{1

2

3}, Stephanie L Foster^{1

2

3}, Katharine Floyd^{1

2

3}, Meredith E Davis-Gardner^{1

2

3}, Grace Mantus^{1

2

4}, Lindsay E Nyhoff^{1

2

4}, Sarah Bechnak⁴, Ghina Alaaeddine⁴, Amal Naji⁴, Hady Samaha⁴, Matthew Lee⁴, Laurel Bristow⁴, Matthew Gagne⁵, Jesmine Roberts-Torres⁵, Amy R Henry⁵, Sucheta Godbole⁵, Arash Grakoui^{2

6

4

3}, Marybeth Saxton⁴, Anne Piantadosi^{4

7}, Jesse J Waggoner⁴, Daniel C Douek⁵, Nadine Rouphael^{4

8}, Jens Wrammert^{1

2}, Mehul S Suthar^{1

2

6

3}

Affiliations

¹ Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
² Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
³ Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA.
⁴ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
⁵ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Vaccine Research Center, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA.
⁶ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
⁷ Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
⁸ Hope Clinic of Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Decatur, GA, USA.

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) omicron variant emerged in November 2021 and consists of several mutations within the spike. We use serum from mRNA-vaccinated individuals to measure neutralization activity against omicron in a live-virus assay. At 2-4 weeks after a primary series of vaccinations, we observe a 30-fold reduction in neutralizing activity against omicron. Six months after the initial two-vaccine doses, sera from naive vaccinated subjects show no neutralizing activity against omicron. In contrast, COVID-19-recovered individuals 6 months after receiving the primary series of vaccinations show a 22-fold reduction, with the majority of the subjects retaining neutralizing antibody responses. In naive individuals following a booster shot (third dose), we observe a 14-fold reduction in neutralizing activity against omicron, and over 90% of subjects show neutralizing activity. These findings show that a third dose is required to provide robust neutralizing antibody responses against the omicron variant.

Keywords: B.1.1.529; Omicron; Omicron variant; SARS-CoV-2; antibody; booster dose; live-virus; mRNA vaccines; neutralization assay; vaccine induced immunity.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273 / immunology*
Adult
Aged
Animals
Antibodies, Neutralizing / blood
Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology*
Antibodies, Viral / blood
Antibodies, Viral / immunology*
BNT162 Vaccine / immunology*
COVID-19 / immunology
COVID-19 / prevention & control*
COVID-19 / virology
Chlorocebus aethiops
Cohort Studies
Female
Humans
Immunization, Secondary / methods
Male
Middle Aged
Mutation
Neutralization Tests
SARS-CoV-2 / immunology*
Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / genetics
Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / immunology
Vaccination / methods*
Vero Cells
Young Adult

Substances

Antibodies, Neutralizing
Antibodies, Viral
Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
spike protein, SARS-CoV-2
2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273
BNT162 Vaccine

Supplementary concepts

SARS-CoV-2 variants

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Supplementary concepts

Grants and funding