[Correspondence] Overcoming immune imprinting with the COVID-19 LP.8.1 mRNA boosters
Summary
In summer 2025, the SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 sublineage became dominant with more resistant variants, such as XFG, LP.8.1, and NB.1.8.1. COVID-19 mRNA boosters were therefore updated for the 2025–2026 season to target the LP.8.1 spike.1 Previous boosters, particularly the WA1/2020+BA.5 bivalent booster, were characterised by substantial boosting of the ancestral strain, a phenomenon known as immune imprinting.2,3 We therefor…
In summer 2025, the SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 sublineage became dominant with more resistant variants, such as XFG, LP.8.1, and NB.1.8.1. COVID-19 mRNA boosters were therefore updated for the 2025–2026 season to target the LP.8.1 spike.1 Previous boosters, particularly the WA1/2020+BA.5 bivalent booster, were characterised by substantial boosting of the ancestral strain, a phenomenon known as immune imprinting.2,3 We therefore evaluated whether the phylogenetically more distant LP.8.1 mRNA booster would preferentially boost currently circulating strains.