AstraZeneca-Pfizer mixed shot boosts COVID antibody level – study

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Vials with labels for the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are shown in this illustration taken on March 19, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) – A combination vaccination of first AstraZeneca (AZN.L) and then a Pfizer (PFE.N) COVID-19 shot boosted neutralizing antibody levels six times compared to two doses of AstraZeneca, a study from South Korea showed.

The study involved 499 medical workers—100 who received mixed doses, 200 who took two doses of Pfizer/BioNTech (22UAy.DE) and the rest who got two shots of AstraZeneca.

All neutralizing antibodies, which prevent the virus from entering cells and multiplying, and the mixed vaccine schedule result showed similar amounts of neutralizing antibodies found in the group that received two doses of Pfizer.

A British study last month showed similar results – an injection of AstraZeneca followed by Pfizer produced the best T-cell responses, and a higher antibody response than Pfizer followed by AstraZeneca. Read more

The data provide further support for several countries’ decision to offer alternatives to AstraZeneca as a second injection after the vaccine has been linked to rare blood clots.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the South Korean study also analyzed neutralizing activity against key variables of concern.

None of the groups showed low neutralizing activity against the alpha variant, which was first identified in Britain, but the neutralization titer was decreased by 2.5 to 6-fold against Beta, Gamma and Delta, which was first detected in South Africa, Brazil and India, respectively.

Reporting from Sangmi Cha; Editing by Myung Kim and Nick McPhee

Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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