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Published on: November 5, 2021
Vaccine Breakthrough Infections with SARS-CoV-2 Variants
Ezgi Hacisuleyman1, Caryn Hale1, Yuhki Saito1
1From the Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-oncology (E.H., C.H., Y.S., N.E.B., M.B., E.G.C., R.B.D.), the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology (D.J.S.-B., C.G., M.C.N.), the Laboratory of Human Genetics and Genomics (R.L.), the Laboratory of Retrovirology (J.D., F.M., T.H., P.D.B.), and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (M.C.N., P.D.B., R.B.D.), Rockefeller University, New York.
Fully vaccinated individuals can still contract SARS-CoV-2 variants. This study found breakthrough infections in two women despite vaccination, highlighting the need for ongoing variant surveillance.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants pose a significant public health challenge.
- Vaccination is a primary strategy to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Observation:
- Two women in a cohort of 417 individuals experienced vaccine breakthrough infections.
- Both women had received two doses of either BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) or mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccine at least two weeks prior.
Findings:
- Despite vaccine efficacy, both women developed COVID-19 symptoms and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
- Viral sequencing identified concerning variants, including E484K in one case and T95I, del142-144, and D614G mutations in both.
Implications:
- Vaccinated individuals remain at potential risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 variants.
- Continued efforts are crucial for infection prevention, diagnosis, and characterization of variants in vaccinated populations.
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