Second monovalent SARS-CoV-2 mRNA booster restores Omicron-specific neutralizing activity in both nursing home residents and health care workers

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 41; no. 22; pp. 3403 - 3409
• Main Authors: Nugent, Clare, Abul, Yasin, White, Elizabeth M., Shehadeh, Fadi, Kaczynski, Matthew, Oscar Felix, Lewis, Ganesan, Narchonai, Oyebanji, Oladayo A., Vishnepolskiy, Igor, Didion, Elise M., Paxitzis, Alexandra, Sheehan, Maegan L., Chan, Philip A., Pfeifer, Walther M., Dickerson, Evan, Kamojjala, Shreya, Wilson, Brigid M., Mylonakis, Eleftherios, King, Christopher L., Balazs, Alejandro B., Canaday, David H., Gravenstein, Stefan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 22-05-2023; Elsevier Limited; Elsevier; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Antibodies; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Antibodies, Viral; Antibody response; COVID-19; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 Vaccines; Health care; Health Personnel; Humans; Infections; Laboratories; Medical personnel; mRNA; Neutralization; Neutralizing; Nurses; Nursing Homes; Omicron; RNA, Messenger; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 - genetics; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Short Communication; Vaccines; COVID-19; Nursing homes; SARS-CoV-2; Omicron; Vaccines; Antibody response
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.04.034

We examined whether the second monovalent SARS-CoV-2 mRNA booster increased antibody levels and their neutralizing activity to Omicron variants in nursing home residents (NH) residents and healthcare workers (HCW). We sampled 376 NH residents and 63 HCW after primary mRNA vaccination, first and second boosters, for antibody response and pseudovirus neutralization assay against SARS-CoV-2 wild-type (WT) (Wuhan-Hu-1) strain, Omicron BA.1 and BA.5 variants. Antibody levels and neutralizing activity progressively increased with each booster but subsequently waned over 3–6 months. NH residents, both those without and with prior infection, had a robust geometric mean fold rise (GMFR) of 8.1 (95% CI 4.4, 14.8) and 7.8 (95% CI 4.8, 12.9) respectively in Omicron-BA.1 subvariant specific neutralizing antibody levels following the second booster vaccination (p < 0.001). These results support the ongoing efforts to ensure that both NH residents and HCW are up-to-date on recommended SARS-CoV-2 vaccine booster doses.