Pfizer and BioNTech has stated in a press release that people who received their bivalent booster shots had far higher levels of antibodies to fight SARS-CoV-2, than people who received previous booster shots. As Healthline reports, the companies announced the findings from phase 2/3 studies, but those findings were not yet peer-reviewed.
Bivalent COVID-19 boosters that target both the original form of the coronavirus and the currently circulating BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants are now available in the United States for people as young as 5 years of age.
According to the data published by Pfizer and BioNTech, in people over age 55 the bivalent booster shot was linked to an over 13-fold increase in antibody levels compared to pre-booster levels. The traditional monovalent booster shots led to a 2.9 fold increase in antibody levels in people over age 55 compared to pre-booster levels. The bivalent shot was found to lead to a 9.5 fold increase in antibody levels for adults aged 18 to 55, compared to pre-booster levels.
“These data demonstrate that our BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine works as conceptually planned in providing stronger protection against the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sublineages,” Dr. Ugur Sahin, CEO and Co-founder of BioNTech said in the statement. “In the next step and as part of our science-based approach we will continue to evaluate the cross-neutralization of the adapted vaccine against new variants and sublineages. Our goal is to provide broader immunity against COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2, including Omicron and other circulating strains.”
While some experts question the benefits of the updated boosters for younger, healthy people, Martinez said there are certain people who will definitely benefit from the bivalent vaccines. “Where this vaccine could probably offer the most advantage would be in elderly individuals who have waning immunity,” he said, “and potentially in reducing the transmission of BA.5, assuming it’s still circulating in two months from now.”
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