Neutralizing antibody response to XBB.1.5, BA.2.86, FL.1.5.1, and JN.1 six months after the BNT162b2 bivalent booster

An increase evasion of the SARS-CoV-2 virus toward vaccination strategies and natural immunity has been rapidly described notably because of the mutations in the spike receptor binding domain and the N-terminal domain.

Participants of the CRO-VAX HCP study who received the bivalent booster were followed up at 6 months. A pseudovirus-neutralization test was used to assess the neutralization potency of antibodies against D614G, Delta, BA.1, BA.5, XBB.1.5, BA.2.86, FL.1.5.1, and JN-1.

The neutralizing capacity of antibodies against the Omicron variant or its subvariants was significantly reduced compared with D614G and Delta (P <0.0001). The lowest neutralizing response that was observed with JN-1 (geometric mean titers [GMTs] = 22.1) was also significantly lower than XBB.1.5 (GMT = 29.5, P <0.0001), BA.2.86 (GMT = 29.6, P <0.0001), and FL.1.5.1 (GMT = 25.2, P <0.0001). Participants who contracted a breakthrough infection because of XBB.1.5 had significantly higher neutralizing antibodies against all variants than uninfected participants, especially against the Omicron variant and its subvariants.

Our results confirm that JN.1 is one of the most immune-evading variants to date and that the BA.2.86 subvariant did not show an increased immunity escape compared with XBB.1.5. The stronger response in breakthrough infection cases with the Omicron variant and its subvariants supports the need to use vaccine antigens that target circulating variants.