Mixed vaccine approach shows promise against latest COVID variants
A new study examines how combining inactivated virus vaccines with mRNA boosters protects against rapidly evolving COVID strains including BF.7, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1. The findings could inform public health vaccine strategies as the virus continues mutating and influence pharmaceutical companies' development of variant-specific boosters.
Originaltitel: Heterologous inactivated virus/mRNA vaccination response to BF.7, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1
The emergence of highly immune-escape Omicron variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), such as BQ and XBB, has led to concerns about the efficacy of vaccines. Using lentivirus-based pseudovirus neutralizing assay, we showed that heterologous vaccination involving parental mRNA vaccine as a booster or second booster in individuals that received two or three doses of inactivated vaccines strongly augments the neutralizing activity against emerging Omicron subvariants, including BF.7, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1, by 4.3-to 219-folds. Therefore, a heterologous boosting strategy with mRNA-based vaccines should be considered in populations where inactivated vaccines were primarily used.