B- and T-cell immune responses elicited by the Comirnaty® COVID-19 vaccine in nursing-home residents

Abstract

Objectives: The immunogenicity of the Comirnaty® vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has not been adequately studied in elderly people with comorbidities. We assessed antibody and T-cell responses targeted to the S protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) following full vaccination in nursing-home residents. Methods: Sixty nursing-home residents (44 female, age 53e100 years), of whom ten had previously been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 18 healthy controls (15 female, age 27e54 years) were recruited. Pre-and post-vaccination blood specimens were available for quantification of total antibodies binding the SARS-CoV-2 S protein and for enumeration of SARS-CoV-2 S-reactive IFN-g CD4 þ and CD8 þ T cells by flow cytometry. Results: The seroconversion rate in (presumably) SARS-CoV-2-naïve nursing-home residents (41/43, 95.3%) was similar to that in controls (17/18, 94.4%). A booster effect was documented in post-vaccination samples of nursing-home residents with prior COVID-19. Plasma antibody levels were higher (p < 0.01) in recovered nursing-home residents (all 2500 IU/mL) than in individuals across the other two groups (median 1120 IU/mL in naïve nursing-home residents and 2211 IU/ml in controls). A large percentage of nursing-home residents had SARS-CoV-2 S-reactive IFN-g CD8 þ (naïve 31/49, 63.2%; recovered 8/10, 80%) or CD4 þ T cells (naïve 35/49, 71.4%; recovered 7/10, 70%) at baseline, in contrast to healthy controls (3/17, 17.6% and 5/17, 29%, respectively). SARS-CoV-2 IFN-g CD8 þ and CD4 þ T-cell responses were documented in 88% (15/17) and all control subjects after vaccination, respectively, but only in 65.5% (38/ 58) and 22.4% (13/58) of nursing-home residents. Overall, the median frequency of SARS-CoV-2 IFN-g CD8 þ and CD4 þ T cells in nursing-home residents decreased in post-vaccination specimens, whereas it increased in controls. Conclusion:The Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine elicits robust SARS-CoV-2 S antibody responses in nursinghome residents. Nevertheless, the rate and frequency of detectable SARS-CoV-2 IFN-g T-cell responses after vaccination was lower in nursing-home residents than in controls.

SARS-CoV-2 adaptive immunity in nursing home residents up to eight months after two doses of the Comirnaty® COVID-19 vaccine

“…In conclusion, our data indicated that both antibody and peripheral blood CD4 + T-cell levels measured after Comirnaty® vaccination in elderly nursing home residents wane over time in line with previous findings 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , declining significantly by 7M after vaccination, particularly in SARS-CoV-2 naïve individuals.…”

“…Participants testing negative for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies by all the above assays (n=6) with available specimens (n=5) were examined for presence of SARS-CoV-2-S-reactive IFNγ‐producing T cells by whole-blood flow cytometry for intracellular cytokine staining (ICS), as previously described [ 2 , 3 ]. Four residents had detectable S-targeted CD8 + T cells (median, 0.47%; range, 0.16–3.94%), whereas none had CD4 + T cells.…”

Alicante-Winter Immunology Symposium in Health (A-Wish) and the Boulle-SEI awards: A collaboration between the Spanish Society for immunology, the University of Alicante and the Jean Boulle Group to honor the Balmis Expedition

“…To do so, the ProVaVac program established a consortium that includes representatives of hospitals, universities and research centers working under the scientific direction of David Navarro to generate knowledge, promote the coordination and integration of research projects dedicated to post-vaccination follow-up, facilitate the establishment of synergies between different entities and research groups, and offering them the data support of the Public Health System of the Valencian Community. One example of the generation of research data for public service information on the vaccination strategy was the evaluation of the immunogenicity and long-term immunity of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines among the general population and nursing home residents ( Albert et al, 2022 ; Torres et al, 2021 ). The knowledge generated was then disseminated to the public and used to support health decision making and to implement strategies for high-risk patients, including administration of a third dose of Comirnaty in nursing home residents ( Gimenez et al, 2022 ) and the overall population of the Valencian Community.…”

BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 (Comirnaty) Vaccine Effectiveness in Elderly Patients Who Live in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Nationwide Cohort

“…In spite of this reassuring rate, very limited data were available about the vaccines' effectiveness on the geriatric population, as this population was not included in the BNT162b2 vaccine clinical trials [ 17 ]. Studies conducted later found that the vaccines' immunogenicity in the elderly population was lower than the general population, yet a certain level of protection was acquired [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Starting December 2020, the Senior Shield task force began vaccinating the residents and caregivers of LTCFs in Israel.…”