A medical worker inoculates a recipient with a COVID-19 vaccine at a temporary inoculation site in Haidian District in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 11, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

 


In light of the double challenges of COVID-19 and influenza this fall and winter, Chinese doctors and medical experts have called for the public to get updated vaccines by the end of October. The suggestion came with the latest study by a research team led by Chinese infectious disease expert Zhang Wenhong that revealed weakening neutralization against Omicron subvariants as the virus continues to evolve. 

Since late 2019, the novel coronavirus, also known as SARS-CoV-2, has rapidly spread across the globe. Since November 2021, the Omicron strain has been the predominant variant of concern in most countries, noted an article published online by the Emerging Microbes & Infections journal on September 5.  

The Omicron variant has continued to mutate over the past few years and subvariants such as BA.1,  BA.2,  BA.4, BA.5 and BF.7, as well as the latest XBB.1.5, have swept the world,  causing lots of deaths and huge economic losses, according to the article. 

"Compared with non-vaccination groups, breakthrough infection in two-dose vaccination groups had significantly higher neutralizing antibodies against WT, BA.2, BA.5, BF.7 but not to BQ.1.1, CH.1.1, XBB.1.5., while booster dose against the prototype virus prior-breakthrough would not further significantly enhance individual's humoral responses against the latest Omicron subvariants," the article revealed. 

Thus, it is necessary to keep evaluating risk population and the efficacy of existing vaccination strategies against the latest Omicron subvariants, the article concluded. Future vaccination strategies should aim to enhance effective neutralization for contemporary variants, the article stressed.

In light of the double challenges of COVID-19 and influenza in this fall and winter, Zhuang Shilihe, a Guangzhou-based expert who closely follows the COVID-19 pandemic, recommended that the public be vaccinated against the dominant XBB. 

On June 8, Chinese health authorities approved emergency usage of a vaccine developed by WestVac Biopharma and West China Medical Center,Sichuan University. This is the first COVID-19 vaccine in the world approved for emergency usage against the XBB lineages of SARS-CoV-2, according to the WestVac Biopharma.

Zhuang predicted that more updated vaccines may get approved in China in the next few months.

It will be better to get both COVID-19 and flu vaccines together by the end of October, Zhuang noted. 

As the 2023 National Day holidays next week will lead to an increase in people traveling across the country, some doctors and experts are predicting a low-level outbreak of COVID-19 and influenza following the period. 

Peng Jie, an expert from the Southern Medical University, told media that there have been growing reports of EG.5 subvarinat infections recently. But most of COVID-19 cases reported in clinics are secondary infections with mild symptoms. This is because EG.5 can be neutralized by antibodies from previous COVID-19 infections, Peng explained.      

As a whole the situation should remain controlable as long as the public get vaccinated in time and take proper prevention measures, experts noted.