Updated vaccine protects against SARS-CoV-2 variants including Omicron (B.1.1.529) and prevents transmission in hamsters

Sapna Sharma, Thomas Vercruysse, Lorena Sanchez-Felipe, Winnie Kerstens, Madina Rasulova, Lindsey Bervoets, Carolien Keyzer, Rana Abdelnabi, Caroline S. Foo, Viktor Lemmens, Dominique Looveren, Piet Maes, Guy Baele, Birgit Weynand, Philippe Lemey, Johan Neyts, Hendrik Jan Thibaut and Kai Dallmeier ()
Additional contact information
Sapna Sharma: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery
Thomas Vercruysse: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Translational Platform Virology and Chemotherapy
Lorena Sanchez-Felipe: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery
Winnie Kerstens: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Translational Platform Virology and Chemotherapy
Madina Rasulova: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Translational Platform Virology and Chemotherapy
Lindsey Bervoets: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery
Carolien Keyzer: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery
Rana Abdelnabi: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery
Caroline S. Foo: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery
Viktor Lemmens: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery
Dominique Looveren: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Translational Platform Virology and Chemotherapy
Piet Maes: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Zoonotic Infectious Diseases Unit
Guy Baele: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Evolutionary and Computational Virology
Birgit Weynand: Translational Cell and Tissue Research
Philippe Lemey: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Evolutionary and Computational Virology
Johan Neyts: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery
Hendrik Jan Thibaut: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Translational Platform Virology and Chemotherapy
Kai Dallmeier: Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Current COVID-19 vaccines are based on prototypic spike sequences from ancestral 2019 SARS-CoV-2 strains. However, the ongoing pandemic is fueled by variants of concern (VOC) escaping vaccine-mediated protection. Here we demonstrate how immunization in hamsters using prototypic spike expressed from yellow fever 17D (YF17D) as vector blocks ancestral virus (B lineage) and VOC Alpha (B.1.1.7) yet fails to fully protect from Beta (B.1.351). However, the same YF17D vectored vaccine candidate with an evolved antigen induced considerably improved neutralizing antibody responses against VOCs Beta, Gamma (P.1) and the recently predominant Omicron (B.1.1.529), while maintaining immunogenicity against ancestral virus and VOC Delta (B.1.617.2). Thus vaccinated animals resisted challenge by all VOCs, including vigorous high titre exposure to the most difficult to cover Beta, Delta and Omicron variants, eliminating detectable virus and markedly improving lung pathology. Finally, vaccinated hamsters did not transmit Delta variant to non-vaccinated cage mates. Overall, our data illustrate how current first-generation COVID-19 vaccines may need to be updated to maintain efficacy against emerging VOCs and their spread at community level.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34439-7

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