Gut microbiome remains stable following COVID-19 vaccination in healthy and immuno-compromised individuals

Abstract

The bidirectional interaction between the immune system and the gut microbiota is a key contributor to various host physiological functions. Immune-associated diseases such as cancer and autoimmunity, as well as the efficacy of immunomodulatory therapies, have been linked to microbiome variation. Here, we investigate the temporal impact of COVID-19 vaccination on the gut microbiome in healthy and immuno-compromised individuals; the latter included patients with primary immunodeficiency and cancer patients on immunosuppressive therapy. We find that the gut microbiome, assessed using shotgun metagenomics, remained stable post-vaccination irrespective of diverse immune status, vaccine response, and microbial composition spanned by the cohort. The stability is evident at all tested levels including phylum, species, and functional capacity. Our results show the resilience of the gut microbiome to host immune changes triggered by COVID-19 vaccination and suggest minimal, if any, impact on microbiome-mediated processes.