Is the three-shot vaccine effective in neutralizing the Omicron variant?

Today, Pfizer and BioNTech announced preliminary laboratory data

The Omicron variant has gained worldwide attention in just a few weeks since it came into the limelight

To assess the efficacy of its vaccine against the Omicron variant, Pfizer and BioNTech obtained immune sera from a cohort of vaccine recipients

These sera were simultaneously tested for multiple neutralizing antibody titers: some against the spike protein of the wild-type 2019-nCoV, and some against the spike protein of the Omicron variant

Test results suggest that just two shots of the vaccine may not be enough to protect against infection with the Omicron variant

In contrast, neutralizing antibody titers against the spike protein of the Omicron variant increased significantly after the third dose of the vaccine

▲ Preliminary data from this laboratory study mentioned in the press release (Data source: Reference [1]; tabled by WuXi AppTec Content Team)

"While two doses of the vaccine may still confer protection from severe disease from the Omicron variant, these preliminary data suggest that a third dose conferred better protection," said Pfizer Chief Executive Officer Dr.

"Our first preliminary data suggest that a third dose of the vaccine may still provide adequate protection against any degree of disease caused by the Omicron variant," said BioNTech CEO Dr Ugur Sahin.

The company's press release also noted that these data are still very preliminary, so more laboratory and real-world evidence is needed to evaluate and confirm the protection of the vaccine against Omicron variants and to find better solutions

References:

[1] Pfizer and BioNTech Provide Update on Omicron Variant, Retrieved December 8, 2021, from https://