Booster study reveals: A corona vaccine is almost ineffective
Created: 01/19/2022, 02:13 p.m
By: Dominik Jahn
Large booster study with Biontech, Valneva and Co.: A combination surprises.
© Mirko Hannemann/dpa
Booster study: English researchers test vaccination effect with almost 3,000 participants.
But the data have a crucial catch.
In Germany, the fight against Corona is currently all about initial vaccinations and boosters.
In addition to the mRNA vaccines from Biontech, Moderna and the vector vaccine AstraZeneca, Novavax and Valneva will soon also be available, reports echo24.de*.
But with which vaccines can the best booster effect be produced?
Which combination provides the best protection against the virus - and which does not?
As numerous studies have already shown, so-called cross-vaccinations lead to a particularly strong immune response.
But with which two vaccines can the best values be achieved?
A British study has now dealt with the topic.
The results were published in the oldest and most prestigious medical journal ,
The Lancet
.
Large booster study with Biontech, Valneva and Co.: A combination surprises
According to the report, British researchers conducted the COV-Boost trial,
"a phase 2, multi-center, randomized, controlled, third-dose booster vaccine against COVID-19
. "
The vaccines involved as boosters: Astrazeneca, Biontech/Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Novavax, Valneva and CureVac.
reactogenicity and immunogenicity
By definition, reactogenicity is the ability to evoke reactions.
It is about the expected vaccination reactions.
Immunogenicity is the ability of an antigen to trigger an immune response (immunization, sensitization).
The COV-Boost study: Almost 3,000 participants in 13 groups
In order to obtain the desired data, the reactogenicity and immunogenicity of the seven vaccines listed were evaluated as the third dose after dual vaccination with AstraZeneca or Biontech.
The participants in the study were all over 30 years of age and
"at least 70 days after two doses of ChAd (AstraZeneca) or at least 84 days after two doses of a Biontech primary COVID-19 vaccination course with no laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in the prehistory"
.
2,878 people were involved.
Around half were over 70 years old.
The participants were then divided into 13 experimental and control groups, in which they received either the full or half dose of the various booster vaccines or a placebo.
A total of 20 booster combinations could be tested.
Booster study on Valenva and Co.: The best combinations
In a summary of the study by the
Focus,
it says about the results:
"For the assessment, the researchers determined by which factor the antibody titers had increased 28 days after the booster vaccination.
So the highest factor does not necessarily mean which combination provides the best protection - it also depends on how high the antibody level was after the second vaccination"
.
According to the study, the highest increase in antibodies was in the combinations:
double vaccination | booster |
---|---|
Astrazeneca | Moderna Booster |
Biontech | Moderna Booster |
Biontech | Johnson&Johnson booster |
Biontech | Astrazeneca Booster |
In the study on the best vaccine-booster combinations COV-Boost, a double vaccination with AstraZeneca in combination with Moderna achieved a factor of 32.2.
The Moderna booster with a factor of 11.5 was the best fit for double corona protection with Biontech.
A booster combination disappoints: bad result for inactivated vaccine
The COV Boost study showed that essentially all booster vaccinations lead to an increase in the immune response.
With a vaccine, however, the researchers did not come up with a good value.
The result was quite surprising.
As is clear from the
The Lancet
report , a booster with the inactivated vaccine Valneva has the least effect in all combinations.
Valneva is currently awaiting approval for Europe.
In a recent study, the French biotechnology company came up with good results on effectiveness.
The side effects of Valneva have also been studied.
However, the vaccine does not seem to come into question as a possible booster alternative.
Booster study with Valneva, Novavax and Co. is not a recommendation
According to the UK study presented in
The Lancet
, half a dose of Valneva achieved only a 1.8 antibody increase after double vaccination with AstraZeneca.
For a full Biontech vaccination, the value was only 1.3.
However, the researchers emphasize that the result has nothing to do with the safety of the vaccine.
As the
Focus
writes in an article on the COV Boost study, the data obtained should not be taken as a general recommendation.
The results have a "hook".
According to the article, they describe the antibody response and not generally the effectiveness of the vaccines in relation to infection or disease.
The study is limited to double vaccinations with Biontech and AstraZeneca.
There are also differences between the study and the current guidelines in Germany with regard to the intervals between the second vaccination and the booster.
For the tests, the booster was available after three months at the latest, in Germany the refresher is currently only available after six months, but after five months at the earliest.
*
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