Another lab study found that the Omicron Covid variant of vaccines is’markely’ less effective at protecting against infection in comparison to other major ones after just two doses.
Columbia University researchers tested the mutant strain against the blood of people vaccinated with two doses of the four big brands — Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.
The researchers also examined people who were given one of two mRNA vaccination boosters in their research. However, this study hasn’t been published in any scientific journals or peer-reviewed.
The Omicron neutralizing antibodies showed a 21-fold decrease in Omicron’s levels after receiving two doses Pfizer, compared with the original strain. Moderna’s jabs caused an 8.6-fold increase.
Antibodies were so low two-dose course of Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca’s jabs that they were undetectable, suggesting they offer virtually no protection against infection.
However, scientists warn that antibody studies don’t take into account T and B cell responses to Covid. These cells are crucial in preventing severe symptoms from developing but can be difficult to measure.
MailOnline has been told that experts believe Omicron can be countered by other components of the immune response, either from vaccination or an older infection. They also recommend keeping hospitalisations under the previous wave.
The number of antibodies against Omicron found in patients who received a booster shot from Moderna or Pfizer was 6.5 times lower than that seen with the original virus.
Anthony Fauci, America’s most renowned Covid physician in America, insists that booster shots can still provide extremely high protection against Omicron-related hospitalisations and deaths.
Yesterday, Professor Chris Whitty from England was quoted as saying that booster jabs may make Britons more protected against Omicron than two doses of the Delta strain.
According to data from South Africa and the UK, people who received two doses Pfizer vaccine six months apart should be protected against Omicron Disease at 70%.
Columbia researchers found that all four major Covid vaccines, (L-R) Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, failed to consistently provide adequate protection against the Omicron variant on their own. Pfizer users produced 21x more antibodies to Omicron than those who were injected with Moderna, but protection by Moderna was nine times lower. And neutralising antibodies from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson were almost indetectable. Triple-jabbed with Moderna (far left graph) showed a 6.5 fold drop in neutralising antibodies for Omicron compared to levels that had been recorded before they were exposed to the Wuhan-strain strain.
In a separate study, researchers from Harvard, MIT and Ragon Institute found Omicron was less effective than two different doses of vaccine. Their study found that third-dose vaccines produce neutralizing antibodies at the same level as the Delta version. Below are graphs showing neutralising antibodies levels against Covid original (left), and Omicron. (right). The solid black line indicates antibody protection after three shots. While the dotted line represents antibody levels following two jabs. Researchers stated that Omicron is more resistant to boosters than Omicron. This means there’s greater protection with third jabs.
MailOnline spoke to Professor James Naismith of National Research Centre the Rosalind FranklinInstitut, about the results of the study. He said that although the findings echo those of Omicron, they should be considered serious. However, antibodies are only one part of the body’s reaction to Covid infections.
He stated that Omicron was extremely adept at getting around the immune response.
Omicron can infect anyone without a booster. The number of cases will increase rapidly.
Professor Naismith explained that antibodies are not all or nothing. He said that a win of 10 is equally good as an extra-time win of 1 nil.
He said that boosting people with antibodies higher than normal does provide better protection from infection. Think of the booster like a supersub.
Professor Naismith stated that people also have an innate immune system and a T-cell response to vaccinations or other infections, which provide protection.
He stated that 1,000 Omicron-infected patients in the UK could result in many hospitalisations.
“I know it will be lower than the first wave. I really hope it will be more than Delta.”
In less than a fortnight, clear-cut evidence will show the effectiveness of boosters against the super-mutant UK variant.
According to the UK Health Security Agency, there must be at least 250 Omicron-equipped patients before estimates of vaccine effectiveness can be made.
Only 16 Britons have been diagnosed with this variant so far in the UK. However, it is believed that the number of cases may be lower than expected as not all variant-positive tests can be analysed.
It comes as the UK’s daily Covid cases yesterday soared to their highest level for the second year in a row, with 88,376 positive tests reported. On Wednesday, the identification of 78,610 cases was possible. In January, the previous record was at 68.053.
A turbo-charged booster programme is dishing out third doses in a bid to limit the impact of the Omicron wave, with 745,183 administered yesterday, the most third doses in a single day.
Scientists believe the high-tech jabs can increase immunity against the severe illnesses, hospitalisations, and deaths caused by the mutant strain. However, the effects of the jabs on transmission are unlikely to be significant.
The Colombia researchers said blood samples showed Omicron triggered 32 times less neutralising antibodies compared to the original virus strain.
Even blood samples from people boosted with Pfizer or Moderna — the vaccines being used for third doses in the UK — showed the vaccines had ‘diminished’ neutralising activity against Omicron.
The neutralizing antibodies to Omicron were 6.5 times lower in people triple-jabbed using Moderna and Pfizer than the levels seen after they were exposed to the Wuhan-type strain.
Monoclonal antibodies treatments were also examined by the team and their efficacy was found to be ‘abolished’ or impaired against this variant.
These findings could indicate that the Ronapreve and Ronapreve treatments, which are already approved for use in the UK, may not be as effective. GSK and Pfizer claim that their latest antibody treatments against Omicron should be effective, although this is yet to be proven.
The Columbia University researchers said four of Omicron’s spike mutations — S371L, N440K, G446S, and Q493R — make it better at resisting antibody protection.
However, it contains 32 mutations of its spike protein. Many of these have been called unusual. Scientists are investigating their effects on immunity.
Researchers warned that the Omicron variant poses a threat to several existing Covid therapies and vaccines.
Professor Whitty spoke to members of the Health and Social Care Committee and stated that the ideal scenario was for six percent of Omicron-infected over-65s to be admitted, which is the same as Delta.
An example: In the second and first waves, when vaccines were not available, hospitalization rates among those infected in this age group were 22 percent.
Prof Whitty stated that Omicron could be more beneficial than two vaccines with Delta severe diseases.
Head of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Dr Susan Hopkins told the MPs that 250 Britons needed to be admitted to Omicron to allow scientists to determine how serious the strain is, and what vaccines might work against it.
There are 16 people hospitalised with the variant, but Professor Whitty warned the true figure will be ‘much bigger’, as not all positive tests among patients have been sequenced to determine which variant they are infected with.
Harvard, MIT, and Ragon Institute for Medical Genetics (MIT) also discovered that two vaccine doses are not as effective against Omicron.
The researchers found third doses of neutralizing antibodies to be at the same level as the Delta variant.
American expert, Professor Carl Bergstrom of Washington University, stated that boosters had a greater effect on Omicron than the earlier strains of virus.
He stated that boosters do not increase antibody titres but alter the antibodies to better target Omicron.
Data from the UK Government revealed that booster jabs can provide up to 75 protection against Omicron-related mild illnesses.
UKHSA performed a real-world assessment of 581 Omicron-positive people. They also compared the vaccine status with a control group who had tested negative for Delta.
According to the study, Pfizer boosters provide between 70% and 75% protection from mild Omicron disease, regardless of whether a vaccine has been used previously. This compares with Delta’s 95%.
Pfizer can provide only 37% protection for three and a half months, whereas Delta provides 60%. After the same time, two shots of AstraZeneca provided virtually no protection.
Scientists cautioned that AstraZeneca’s data was more reliable than expected due to restrictions in certain age groups, and the use of this vaccine at vulnerable times was common.
The Omicron virus is spreading to South Africa. Early data shows that it causes about a third less hospitalisations there than Delta. However, two Covid jabs appear to reduce the chance of being admitted.
According to officials who examined 78,000 Omicron patients in the last month, the likelihood of being hospitalized was one-fifth lower than for Delta. It also rates 29 percent lower than for the original Omicron virus.
As a crude rate, Omicron is currently leading to a third fewer hospital admissions than Delta did during its entire wave — 38 admissions per 1,000 Omicron cases compared to 101 per 1,000 for Delta.
The researchers also found two doses of Pfizer’s vaccine still provide 70 per cent protection against hospital admission or death from Omicron, compared to 93 per cent for Delta.
This is more protection that scientists had feared. However, 30% of the population remains vulnerable to Omicron disease. That’s four times the amount as Delta.