A new clinical study, led by researchers from the European project RBDCOV and co-led by Vall d’Hebron, has demonstrated that HIPRA's COVID-19 vaccine, BIMERVAX®, induces a broad immune response against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants in adolescents aged 12 to 17. The trial, conducted with 240 participants in Spain, administered BIMERVAX® as a booster dose after two previous doses of Comirnaty® (Pfizer/BNTech).
The results, published in the journal Pediatrics, indicate that the vaccine generates a sustained immune response for at least one year, remaining above pre-vaccination levels. This response includes neutralizing antibodies against variants such as Omicron and its most recent subvariants (XBB.1.5 and XBB.1.16), as well as a detectable cellular response.
The study's co-leader, Julia García Prado, emphasizes the importance of verifying that the immune response can neutralize different variants in a constantly evolving virus. The study also assessed the vaccine's safety and tolerability in this pediatric population, showing a favorable profile.
Pere Soler-Palacín, co-leader of the study and head of the Pediatrics Department at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, highlights the relevance of having specific data for the adolescent population, contributing to expanding the scientific evidence on vaccination in this age group.
