Pfizer/BioNTech Omicron booster shows strong response after a month

Nov 4 (Reuters) – U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech said on Friday their Omicron-tailored shot targeting the BA.4/5 subvariants produced a strong antibody response in humans than the original shot after one month.

Data in October showed the vaccine produced a strong response after a week.

In a joint statement, the companies said data from roughly 36 individuals aged 55 years or older showed the booster dose led to a nearly four-fold increase in neutralizing antibody levels against the BA.4/5 variants after one month.

Omicron-tailored shots made by Pfizer and rival Moderna Inc have already been given the green light in the United States for adults as well as for children as young as five years.

According to government data, around 26.3 million Americans had received the updated shot as of Nov. 2, with around 3.4 million of those getting the shot over the past week.

(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)