Vaccinated people have 5 times higher neutralization ability with new sublines of Omicron

New sub-variants of Omicron can trigger a new wave of disease, but is less likely to develop in the blood of people vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine.

Scientists from multiple institutions are examining two of Omicron’s sublines BA.4 and BA.5, which the World Health Organization added in April to its list of variants to monitor.

South African scientists took blood samples from 39 trial participants, who were previously infected with Omicron when the variant first appeared in late 2021. Of these, 15 were vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine. Eight people have been vaccinated with Pfizer’s vaccine, 7 with Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine), the remaining 24 people have not been vaccinated.

The test results showed that the vaccinated group was 5 times more likely to neutralize (avoid immunity) and was better protected.

For blood samples from unvaccinated humans, antibody production when exposed to sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 was nearly eight-fold reduced compared with the original BA.1 strain, the original Omicron strain. head. Meanwhile, blood samples of vaccinated people showed a three-fold reduction in this ability.

South Africa may enter a fifth COVID-19 outbreak earlier than expected, related to a continued increase in the number of people infected with BA sub-variants, health officials and scientists said on April 29. .4 and BA.5 of Omicron.

Only about 30% of South Africa’s 60 million people are fully immunized.

“Based on their ability to break out of neutrality, BA.4 and BA.5 could lead to a new wave of infections,” the study said.