Lab study shows omicron-blocking antibodies persist four months after a Pfizer-BioNTech booster [View all]

Source: Washington Post

Lab study shows omicron-blocking antibodies persist four months after a Pfizer-BioNTech booster

A major question about boosters has been how quickly protection will fade

By Carolyn Y. Johnson
Today at 11:30 a.m. EST

Virus-fighting antibodies capable of blocking the omicron variant persist four months after a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, according to a new study.

The study, which was published on a preprint server Saturday, gives a first hint about the durability of coronavirus vaccine protection, with a key line of immune defense remaining intact. The study has not yet been peer-reviewed and will need to be replicated and extended to a longer period.

The laboratory study suggests a fourth shot may not be needed right away — a question that has caused anxiety for people wondering if and when they would need to get another booster.

“This is very, very new for the field,” said Pei-Yong Shi, a microbiologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, whose team tested antibodies in the blood of vaccinated people against an omicron-like virus in collaboration with Pfizer scientists. “That really shows that at least up to four months, post-dose three, there is still substantial neutralizing activity against omicron.”

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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/01/24/do-vaccine-boosters-work-against-omicron/