CanSino’s inhaled booster vaccine stronger against Omicron BA.1 subvariant than Sinovac

Vaccine candidate elicits better antibody response than leading Chinese jab when used as a booster against BA.1, according to paper published Thursday

However, antibody levels drop months after the inhalation-based Covid-19 vaccine is taken

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Over 92 per cent of adults who receive a low dose of CanSino’s inhaled vaccine after two Sinovac jabs develop antibodies that neutralise the BA.1 Omicron subvariant, according to new data. Photo: CCTV

Published: 4:10pm, 29 Jul 2022Updated: 4:49pm, 29 Jul 2022

Chinese vaccine firm CanSino Biologic’s inhalation-based candidate elicited a better antibody response as a booster against the BA.1 Omicron subvariant than Sinovac’s shot, but the antibody level dropped in months, clinical trial data showed.

The result came as top political leaders in China called for proper tracking of virus mutation and the development of new vaccines and treatments in the country’s effort to refine its Covid-19 control strategy.

China has given about 56 per cent of its 1.41 billion population a booster dose using domestic shots, and most people were boosted with the same product as their primary series, despite growing evidence that some mix-and-match strategies are likely to achieve higher antibody levels.

Among over 100 adults who received a lower dose of CanSino’s inhaled vaccine candidate following two Sinovac shots, 92.5 per cent developed detectable levels of an antibody that neutralises Omicron after four weeks, according to a paper published without peer review.

That compared with 88.9 per cent for a higher-dose group, also with over 100 participants, said the paper published late on Thursday.

The rate for both groups declined to around 70 per cent after six months of the inhaled booster.

Barely any of the over 100 participants who received a third Sinovac shot had detectable neutralising antibodies for Omicron after four weeks or six months.