Publication date: Jul 09, 2025
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants poses ongoing challenges to vaccine efficacy. We evaluated neutralizing antibody responses against JN. 1 and its derivatives (KP. 3, KP. 3.1. 1, LB. 1, and XEC) in healthcare workers who received seven doses of BNT162b2, including the XBB. 1.5 monovalent vaccine. In COVID-19-nacEFve individuals, KP. 3.1. 1 and LB. 1 showed substantial immune escape, whereas previously infected individuals maintained neutralization activity against all variants. We also demonstrated that JN. 1-based immunization induces robust cross-neutralizing activity against emerging variants. A single amino acid deletion at position 31 in the spike protein may be associated with enhanced immune evasion. These findings support the potential effectiveness of JN. 1-based vaccines while highlighting the need for continued surveillance and vaccine optimization.
| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Bnt162b2 | COVID-19 |
| Covid | Immune escape |
| Efficacy | JN.1 |
| Vaccines | KP.3.1.1 |
| Workers | Omicron |
| XEC |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 |
| disease | IDO | protein |