Study shows what the BA.5 vaccine does

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Pfizer and Biontech have released initial data from their adapted variant vaccine clinical trial.

Initial data show a significant increase in neutralizing antibody responses, according to Biontech and Pfizer.
Omicron subvariant BA.5 is currently causing a fall wave in Austria. For about a month, those who want to protect themselves from a severe course have also been able to get boosted with a “bivalent vaccine” – a vaccine adapted to BA.5. The pharmaceutical companies Biontech and Pfizer have now published the first results of a clinical trial – and they are reportedly optimistic.

The adapted agent “is expected to provide better protection against omicron variants BA.4/BA.5 than the original vaccine,” the two manufacturers said Thursday. Blood from 80 people was tested for the study.

The data would show that the adjusted booster provided “a significant increase in neutralizing antibody responses against Omicron variants BA.4/BA.5” compared with before the booster. This response was seen in adults younger than as well as older than 55 years, he said. In addition, the adjusted vaccine was well tolerated, he said.

“While we expect more mature immune response data from the clinical trial of our bivalent BA.4/BA.5 vaccine in the coming weeks, we are pleased to see encouraging responses in younger and older adults just one week after vaccination. These early data suggest that our bivalent vaccine is likely to provide better protection against currently circulating variants than the original vaccine and may help contain future increases in cases this winter,” said Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer.

More data will be presented in the coming weeks, the company said in the press release.