Abstract Title
The Cross-Reactivity of H5N1 Stockpile Vaccinations Against Clade 2.3.4.4b Viruses
Abstract
The spread of clade 2.3.4.4b high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has emphasized the threat of avian influenza spillover and highlighted a need for continued wild bird surveillance and pandemic preparedness. The spread of these viruses and their bovine to human transmission has raised new interest in evaluating the cross-reactivity of current stockpiled human H5N1 vaccines and available candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs). It is unknown if H5N1 strains used in the current vaccination stockpile are antigenically similar enough to current circulating strains to elicit antibodies able to cross react with the clade 2.3.4.4b viruses. Here we examined post-infection ferret antiserum generated to available World Health Organization CVVs and other viruses and show a good coverage against recent 2.3.4.4b viruses. We also show that humans vaccinated with stockpiled H5N1 vaccines induced antibodies that reacted well with avian and bovine clade 2.3.4.4b viruses. Overall, and despite considerable genetic evolution, available vaccines and CVVs appear to provide good coverage.
Co-Author(s)
Mollie Black1,2*, Trushar Jeevan2, Richard J. Webby1,2
1St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
2Department of Host-Microbe Interactions, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis TN 38105
Abstract Category
Avian influenza in mammals, pandemic preparedness, and one health