Changes in serum-neutralizing antibody potency and breadth post-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine boost

Abstract

Summary: A better understanding of the durability and breadth of serum-neutralizing antibody responses against multiple severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants elicited by COVID-19 vaccines is crucial in addressing the current pandemic. In this study, we quantified the decay of serum neutralization antibodies (nAbs) after second and third doses of the original COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. Using an authentic virus-neutralization assay, we found that decay half-lives of WA1- and Delta-nAbs were both ∼60 days after second and third vaccine dose. Unexpectedly, the durability of serum antibodies that neutralize three different Omicron subvariants (BA.1.1, BA.5, BA.2.12.1) was substantially better, with half-lives of ≥6 months. A booster dose of the original COVID-19 vaccine was also found to broaden antibody responses against SARS-CoV and four other sarbecoviruses, in addition to multiple SARS-CoV-2 strains. These findings suggest that repeated vaccinations with the COVID-19 vaccine may confer a degree of protection against future spillover of sarbecoviruses from animal reservoirs.

Keywords

• Biological sciences
• Immune response
• Immunology
• Virology