Sinopharm COVID-19 Shots Show Little Efficacy Against Omicron Subvariants

Sinopharm’s two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series did not produce significant antibody responses against  Omicron subvariants, according to a small Chinese study reported in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Based on data from 25 participants, the shots’ neutralizing antibodies against a range of Omicron subvariants were either not detectable or they were only minimally detectable, the researchers said.

However, the doses produced a detectable neutralizing response against the spike protein mutation D614G in 84 percent of individuals. The mutation emerged early in the pandemic and quickly became the dominant circulating strain.