Coronavirus: BioNTech third shot offers ‘significantly higher’ immunity boost for Sinovac recipients with low antibody levels, Hong Kong researchers find
- Landmark study finds those with low antibody levels after Sinovac jab will receive immunity lift with BioNTech third dose
- BioNTech also offers higher protection against Delta variant, but there were more reports of side effects for the German-made jab
Sinovac vaccine recipients with low antibody levels against the coronavirus will get a “significantly higher” immunity boost if they choose the BioNTech jab as their third dose, according to Hong Kong researchers.
The first local head-to-head study of its kind also found that the German-made BioNTech vaccine generated markedly higher levels of “specific neutralising antibodies” against the more infectious Delta variant. The vaccine co-developed by Pfizer showed 95 per cent efficacy against the variant compared with 48 per cent from the Chinese-produced Sinovac shot.
The findings from University of Hong Kong and Chinese University researchers, released on Thursday, may encourage Hongkongers to opt for a BioNTech third dose as the city prepares to launch its booster programme, with bookings opening on Friday. The elderly and vulnerable are first in line for the extra doses from next Thursday.
Separately, Macau authorities gave out advice on third and fourth vaccine doses, saying that extra shots should cover immunocompromised people aged 12 or above. The third dose should be given at least 28 days after the second shot, while the fourth one should be administered six months after the third jab.
Referring to the BioNTech and Sinovac jabs by their brand names respectively, the Hong Kong researchers said: “Our … study shows the BNT162b2 booster dose for those people who responded poorly to the previous vaccination of CoronaVac is significantly more immunogenic than a CoronaVac booster.”
The government-funded study – led by professors David Hui Shu-cheong and Malik Peiris – evenly divided 80 recipients of the Sinovac jab with low antibody levels into two groups, with each set assigned one of the two locally available jabs. The participants of the study running between August and October were aged from 34 to 73.