Booster of mRNA-1273 Strengthens SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Neutralization.

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Nicole A Doria-Rose, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.; Xiaoying Shen, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC 27710.; Stephen D Schmidt, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.; Sijy O'Dell, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.; Charlene McDanal, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC 27710.; Wenhong Feng, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC 27710.; Jin Tong, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC 27710.; Amanda Eaton, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC 27710.; Maha Maglinao, Moderna, Inc., Cambridge, MA.; Haili Tang, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC 27710.; Kelly E Manning, Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.; Venkata-Viswanadh Edara, Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.; Lilin Lai, Emory University; Madison Ellis, Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.; Kathryn Moore, Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.; Katharine Floyd, Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.; Stephanie L Foster, Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.; Robert L Atmar, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030.; Kirsten E Lyke, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Togqing Zhou, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.; Lingshu Wang, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.; Yi Zhang, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.; Martin R Gaudinski, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.; Walker P Black, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.; Ingelise Gordon, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.; Mercy Guech, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.; Julie E Ledgerwood, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.; John N Misasi, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.; Alicia Widge, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.; Paul C Roberts, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; John Beigel, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Bette Korber, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos; Rolando Pajon, Moderna, Inc., Cambridge, MA.; John R Mascola, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Mehul Suthar, Emory University; David C Montefiori, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC 27710.
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-12-20
• Publisher: medRxiv
• Publication Version: Preprint (Prior to Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.15.21267805
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: medRxiv
• Grant/Funding Information: NIH 75N93019C00050 (DCM, XS), NIH U19 AI142790 (BK), Moderna, Inc., and Intramural Research Program of the Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, NIH (to NDR, SDS, SOD, YZ, MRG, WPB, IG, MG, JEL, and JRM).
• Keywords: mRNA-1273; SARS-CoV-2; Booster

Abstract

The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is raising concerns because of its increased transmissibility and potential for reduced susceptibility to antibody neutralization. To assess the potential risk of this variant to existing vaccines, serum samples from mRNA-1273 vaccine recipients were tested for neutralizing activity against Omicron and compared to neutralization titers against D614G and Beta in live virus and pseudovirus assays. Omicron was 41-84-fold less sensitive to neutralization than D614G and 5.3-7.4-fold less sensitive than Beta when assayed with serum samples obtained 4 weeks after 2 standard inoculations with 100 μg mRNA-1273. A 50 μg boost increased Omicron neutralization titers and may substantially reduce the risk of symptomatic vaccine breakthrough infections.