Third dose “necessary”
This is how Drosten classifies the first data on the effect of the vaccines against Omikron
Initial laboratory tests on the effect of corona vaccines against Omikron indicate a weaker defense reaction against the new variant
© Jan Woitas / DPA
Initial laboratory tests suggest that vaccination protection against the Omikron variant is declining. In view of the data, the well-known virologist Christian Drosten reminds of the need for a booster vaccination.
How well do the current vaccines protect against the heavily modified omicron variant of the coronavirus? Researchers around the world are working hard to answer this question. In the meantime, the first data from laboratory tests are available, which suggest that the effect of vaccines against Omikron is weakened – at least as far as neutralization by antibodies is concerned.
The Frankfurt virologist Sandra Ciesek published preliminary data on the effectiveness of the vaccines against Omikron on Wednesday morning on twitter. Accordingly, she and her team had observed in the laboratory that the antibody reaction of vaccinated people against the Omicron variant is significantly weaker. She reported up to a 37-fold reduction compared to Delta. Ciesek continued: “The data confirm that the development of a vaccine adapted to Omikron makes sense.”
Ciesek emphasized that it is not possible to read from their evaluation whether vaccinated people are protected from a severe course at Omikron. The virologist referred to so-called T cells, which, in addition to antibodies, form another important pillar of the immune system.
Drosten: “Very important data”
In order to examine the effect of a vaccine against a certain variant of Sars-CoV-2, researchers usually do so-called neutralization tests. It is checked how many antibodies a vaccinated person has in the blood that can bind to the virus variant and thus switch it off. The actual protection of vaccinated persons cannot be determined with this, however, clinical studies with thousands of test persons or evaluations of the ongoing infection process are required.
The data from the research team led by Ciesek have not yet been published in a specialist journal and have therefore not yet been assessed by independent experts. The results are similar to those of researchers at the “Africa Health Research Institute” in South Africa, among other things. They had already presented data the day before, according to which the antibody response in people vaccinated against Omikron is weaker. These data have not yet been published in a specialist journal either and are therefore to be regarded as provisional.
The Berlin virologist Christian Drosten described the data from Frankfurt on Twitter as “very important”. According to this, there are already data from three research teams who have found an approximately 40-fold loss of serum neutralization activity in completely immunized people. For people who have only received two doses of vaccine so far, it looks “not good,” wrote Drosten. He renewed his appeal for the booster vaccination. The third vaccination dose is “necessary”.
“It takes significantly more antibodies to neutralize Omicron,” wrote the immunologist Carsten Watzl looking at the data. There will therefore be “significantly more” breakthrough infections in those who have recovered and who have only been vaccinated twice. After the booster or an infection plus vaccination, however, you have significantly more antibodies and are thus better protected against omicrons, according to Watzl. “The vaccinations are less effective, but not useless,” emphasized the expert and added: “Even if people who have been vaccinated or recovered are more likely to become infected with Omikron, those who have not been vaccinated are even less protected. The likelihood of being infected and seriously ill is with Omikron increased significantly! ”
Further laboratory tests on the vaccine effect against Omikron are now eagerly awaited, including those by the vaccine manufacturers Biontech / Pfizer. Their vaccine forms the backbone of the vaccination campaign in Germany. Biontech boss Ugur Sahin reckons in view of the strongly mutated Omicron variant that the vaccine will have to be adapted, as he already did had declared a few days ago. According to the entrepreneur, the current vaccine should continue to offer protection against severe courses.
A lower effect of the existing vaccines against Omikron does not mean that they have no effect at all, emphasize other experts. “All people who get vaccinated do not start from scratch when they encounter a new variant,” said the President of the Robert Koch Institute, Lothar Wieler, at the end of November.