Publisher Correction: ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine prevents SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in rhesus macaques

Protection against SARS-CoV-2 transmission by a parenteral prime—Intranasal boost vaccine strategy

Background

Licensed vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 effectively protect against severe disease, but display incomplete protection against virus transmission. Mucosal vaccines providing immune responses in the upper airways are one strategy to protect against transmission.

Methods

We administered Spike HexaPro trimer formulated in a cationic liposomal adjuvant as a parenteral (subcutaneous – s.c.) prime - intranasal boost regimen to elicit airway mucosal immune responses and evaluated this in a Syrian hamster model of virus transmission.

Findings

Parenteral prime - intranasal boost elicited high-magnitude serum neutralizing antibody responses and IgA responses in the upper respiratory tract. The vaccine strategy protected against virus in the lower airways and lung pathology, but virus could still be detected in the upper airways. Despite this, the parenteral prime - intranasal booster vaccine effectively protected against onward SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Interpretation

This study suggests that parenteral-prime mucosal boost is an effective strategy for protecting against SARS-CoV-2 infection and highlights that protection against virus transmission may be obtained despite incomplete clearance of virus from the upper respiratory tract. It should be noted that protection against onward transmission was not compared to standard parenteral prime-boost, which should be a focus for future studies.

Funding

This work was primarily supported by the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 101003653.

COVID-19 vaccination and male fertility issues: Myth busted. Is taking COVID-19 vaccine the best choice for semen protection and male fertility from risky infection hazards?

The emerging coronavirus illness (COVID‐19) pandemic is posing a global health hazard, with men being at a larger risk than women. There have been few publications on the andrological consequences of COVID‐19 and its vaccines so far. To assuage vaccine fear stemming from concerns about fertility, the effect of inactivated whole‐virus and viral vector vaccines on semen quality was investigated in 100 Egyptian men. The safety of COVID‐19 vaccines on semen parameters was validated with no significant change in pre‐ and post‐vaccination semen analyses in either type of vaccine. Following COVID‐19 vaccination, we can declare male semen parameters as unaffected.

Immunogenicity of a vaccinia virus-based severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccine candidate

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines provide essential tools for the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of technologies have been employed to develop SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, including the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 particles, mRNA to express viral spike protein, recombinant spike proteins, and viral vectors. Here, we report the use of the vaccinia virus Tiantan strain as a vector to express the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. When it was used to inoculate mice, robust SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-specific antibody response and T-cell response were detected. Sera from the vaccinated mice showed strong neutralizing activity against the ancestral Wuhan SARS-CoV-2, the variants of concern (VOCs) B.1.351, B.1.617.2, and the emerging B.1.1.529 (omicron). This finding supports the possibility of developing a new type of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine using the vaccinia virus vector.

Development of COVID 19 vaccine: A summarized review on global trials, efficacy, and effectiveness on variants

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The emergence of SARS CoV2 or COVID 19 pandemic has shocking results on major global public health. This review aims to discuss the nine prominent COVID 19 vaccines with regard to their immunogenicity, efficacy, and effectiveness against the SARS CoV2 variants.

METHODS

Electronic databases such as Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, science websites, and Google scholar were accessed to retrieve the research published about COVID 19 vaccines.

RESULTS

All the adverse impact ranging from mild to moderate in the clinical trials were analysed, however, there were less reports in which COVID 19 patients either developed severe reactions or died due to the different experimental vaccines. Moreover, SARS CoV2 variants like Delta could escape the immune response.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the data suggest that the two doses of COVID 19 vaccines are extremely effective against the original SARS CoV2 virus, and also provide well protection against SARS CoV2 variants, especially in severe illnesses. However, a third dose of the COVID 19 vaccine (also said to be the booster dose) will be needed in some immune-compromised people.

Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 variant is lethal in aged BALB/c mice

Models of animals that are susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can usefully evaluate the efficacy of vaccines and therapeutics. In this study, we demonstrate that infection with the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 variant (TY8-612 strain) induces bodyweight loss and inflammatory cytokine/chemokine production in wild-type laboratory mice (BALB/c and C57BL/6 J mice). Furthermore, compared to their counterparts, BALB/c mice had a higher viral load in their lungs and worse symptoms. Importantly, infecting aged BALB/c mice (older than 6 months) with the TY8-612 strain elicited a massive and sustained production of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines and led to universal mortality. These results indicated that the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 variant-infected mice exhibited symptoms ranging from mild to fatal depending on their strain and age. Our data provide insights into the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and may be useful in developing prophylactics and therapeutics.

Rare case of COVID-19 vaccine-associated intracranial haemorrhage with venous sinus thrombosis

Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is a relatively novel term which describes patients who have developed a low platelet count and prothrombotic tendencies secondary to receiving a vaccine. The concept has been derived from the well-established phenomenon of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, and several cases of VITT have now been reported in patients who have received the AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1 nCov-19) vaccine. Unfortunately, some of these patients have gone on to develop intracranial venous sinus thrombosis. We present a case of VITT-associated sinus thrombosis secondary to the AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1 nCov-19) vaccine, which was complicated by a large intracerebral haemorrhage.

Super-rapid race for saving lives by developing COVID-19 vaccines

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected millions of people and claimed thousands of lives. Starting in China, it is arguably the most precipitous global health calamity of modern times. The entire world has rocked back to fight against the disease and the COVID-19 vaccine is the prime weapon. Even though the conventional vaccine development pipeline usually takes more than a decade, the escalating daily death rates due to COVID-19 infections have resulted in the development of fast-track strategies to bring in the vaccine under a year’s time. Governments, companies, and universities have networked to pool resources and have come up with a number of vaccine candidates. Also, international consortia have emerged to address the distribution of successful candidates. Herein, we summarize these unprecedented developments in vaccine science and discuss the types of COVID-19 vaccines, their developmental strategies, and their roles as well as their limitations.

Immunogenicity of an AAV-based, room-temperature stable, single dose COVID-19 vaccine in mice and non-human primates

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has affected more than 70 million people worldwide and resulted in over 1.5 million deaths. A broad deployment of effective immunization campaigns to achieve population immunity at global scale will depend on the biological and logistical attributes of the vaccine. Here, two adeno-associated viral (AAV)-based vaccine candidates demonstrate potent immunogenicity in mouse and nonhuman primates following a single injection. Peak neutralizing antibody titers remain sustained at 5 months and are complemented by functional memory T-cells responses. The AAVrh32.33 capsid of the AAVCOVID vaccine is an engineered AAV to which no relevant pre-existing immunity exists in humans. Moreover, the vaccine is stable at room temperature for at least one month and is produced at high yields using established commercial manufacturing processes in the gene therapy industry. Thus, this methodology holds as a very promising single dose, thermostable vaccine platform well-suited to address emerging pathogens on a global scale.