With the updated, BA.4/5-focused boosters, researchers at the Galveston-based University of Texas Medical Branch found that antibodies were about four times lower against BQ.1.1 compared to BA.5, according to a small study published Dec. 6 in Nature. Against XBB.1, antibodies were eight times lower among the 29 analyzed blood samples.
A different study published the same day in The Lancet, which tracked the vaccine’s effectiveness versus XBB sublineages, found similar results. Both studies were small, as they analyzed about 30 samples each, but they offer the first glimpse at how the bivalent boosters authorized in early fall act against new variants.
BQ.1.1 is the leading subvariant with 31.9 percent of infections, and XBB and BA.2.75.2 follow behind with 5.5 percent and 0.5 percent, according to CDC data. Subvariant XBB.1 is not tracked by the CDC.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
