SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant is Expected to Retain Most of the Spike Protein Specific Dominant T-Cell Epitopes Presented by COVID-19 Vaccines — Worldwide, 2021

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS TOPIC? The newly emerged variant of Omicron, which carries many of the mutations found in other variants of concern (VOCs), as well as a great number of new mutations that may enhance its immune escape, has spread rapidly around the world. This has raised public concern about the effectiveness of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. WHAT IS ADDED BY THIS REPORT? In this study, different bioinformatic softwares were applied to predict the dominant Omicron spike (S) protein cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) and T helper (Th) epitopes in representative world population and Chinese population. Compared to the original severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) S protein, limited mutations were identified within the dominant CTL and Th epitopes in Omicron variant. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE? The results of this study suggested that the current COVID-19 vaccine-induced T-cell immunity may still provide significant protection against Omicron variant infection in fully vaccinated individuals.