Population Immunity and Persistence to SARS-CoV-2 Induced by Infection and Vaccination, Protection against New Infections and Implication for Further Vaccination

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024 | Viewed by 3501

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Interests: infectious diseases; vaccine; disease burden; vaccine efficacy/effectiveness/impact; health economic evaluation; vaccination policy; seroepidemiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Although the World Health Organization declared the end to COVID-19’s emergency phase, SARS-CoV-2 will be around for a long time and the risk of new variants remains. Having a good knowledge of the population immunity landscape and dynamics and understanding its protection against infections of variants and the severity after infections are critical for policymaking on actions that countries should take in the new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, global, regional, and national population immunity and their dynamic changes remain unknown since it is complex and varied due to disparity of infection history and vaccination coverage across the world. The Special Issue aims to collect the latest research results on the sero-epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infections and vaccination. With this in mind, we are pleased to invite the submission of original research articles and reviews investigating the infection incidence and its severity, population immunity landscape, the kinetics of antibodies following prior infections (with any variant), vaccination (particularly post-licensure), or both (hybrid immunity), protection (and cross-protection) against new variants infections, and providing new ideas for the COVID-19 vaccination strategy in the future.

Looking forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Juan Yang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • SARS-CoV-2
  • COVID-19
  • serology
  • population immunity
  • hybrid immunity
  • vaccination
  • antibody kinetics
  • cross-protection

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 3612 KiB  
Article
Antibody Response after Homologous and Heterologous Prime–Boost COVID-19 Vaccination in a Bangladeshi Residential University Cohort
by Nihad Adnan, Md. Ahsanul Haq, Salma Akter, S. M. Shafiul Alam Sajal, Md. Fokhrul Islam, Taslin Jahan Mou, Mohd. Raeed Jamiruddin, Fatema Tuz Jubyda, Md. Salequl Islam, Jamsheda Ferdous Tuli, Syeda Moriam Liza, Sharif Hossain, Zinia Islam, Sohel Ahmed, Shahad Saif Khandker, Rubel Hossain, Md. Firoz Ahmed, Mohib Ullah Khondoker, Nafisa Azmuda and Md. Anowar Khasru Parvez
Vaccines 2024, 12(5), 482; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12050482 - 30 Apr 2024
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Abstract
COVID-19 vaccination strategies, including heterologous prime–boost regimens and additional booster doses, aim to optimize immune responses. However, seroepidemiological studies on immune responses to different COVID-19 vaccine types and schedules remain limited. This study investigated antibody levels following homologous and heterologous prime-and-boost COVID-19 vaccination [...] Read more.
COVID-19 vaccination strategies, including heterologous prime–boost regimens and additional booster doses, aim to optimize immune responses. However, seroepidemiological studies on immune responses to different COVID-19 vaccine types and schedules remain limited. This study investigated antibody levels following homologous and heterologous prime-and-boost COVID-19 vaccination in Bangladesh. In a cohort of 606 participants who received first/second/booster doses of vaccines (AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Sinopharm), anti-spike IgG and anti-nucleocapsid IgG levels were measured. Antibody titer variations with respect to age, gender, intervals between doses, and prior infection status were analyzed. mRNA vaccines elicited the highest antibody levels after homologous and heterologous boosting. The AstraZeneca booster resulted in a sharp titer decline rate of ~0.04 units per day. Second or booster vaccine doses significantly increased antibody levels, especially in males (p < 0.05). Older age correlated with higher titers, likely reflecting previous infection, which was further confirmed by the elevation of anti-nucleocapsid IgG levels. About 95.5% of non-Sinopharm recipients were anti-nucleocapsid IgG positive, suggesting prior exposure exceeding self-reported infections (12.5%). mRNA and heterologous COVID-19 boosting enhances humoral immunity over homologous prime–boost vector/inactivated vaccination. However, waning immunity merits further investigation across vaccine platforms. Full article
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17 pages, 2299 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Clinical Factors and SARS-CoV-2 Variants on Antibody Production in Vaccinated German Healthcare Professionals Infected Either with the Delta or the Omicron Variant
by Catharina Gerhards, Marlene Steingass, Alexandra Heininger, Bettina Lange, Michael Hetjens, Marlis Gerigk, Michael Neumaier, Osman Evliyaoglu and Maximilian Kittel
Vaccines 2024, 12(2), 163; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12020163 - 5 Feb 2024
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Abstract
Background: The aim of the rapid introduction of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic was a reduction in SARS-CoV-2 transmission and a less frequent occurrence of severe COVID-19 courses. Thus, we evaluated COVID-19 severity in vaccinated individuals to examine variant-specific symptom characteristics and their [...] Read more.
Background: The aim of the rapid introduction of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic was a reduction in SARS-CoV-2 transmission and a less frequent occurrence of severe COVID-19 courses. Thus, we evaluated COVID-19 severity in vaccinated individuals to examine variant-specific symptom characteristics and their clinical impact on the serological immune response. Methods: A total of 185 individuals previously vaccinated against and infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617.2) or Omicron (BA.4 and BA.5) variant, were enrolled for anti-SARS-CoV-2 anti-N- and anti-RBD/S1-Ig level detection. A structured survey regarding medical history was conducted. Results: In 99.5 percent of cases, outpatient treatment was satisfactory. Specific symptoms associated with variants included ageusia and anosmia in patients with Delta infections and throat pain in Omicron infections. Among Delta-infected individuals with specific symptoms, significantly higher levels of anti-N antibodies were observed. Conclusion: Our study identified variant-specific differences in the amount of SARS-CoV-2 antibody production and COVID-19 symptoms. Despite this, vaccinated individuals with Omicron or Delta infections generally experienced mild disease courses. Additionally, asymptomatic individuals exhibit lower anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels, indicating a clinical correlation between disease-specific antibodies and distinct symptoms, particularly in the case of the Delta variant. In follow-up studies, exploring post-COVID syndrome and focusing on cognitive symptoms in the acute phase of Omicron infections is crucial as it has the potential to longitudinally impact the lives of those affected. Full article
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17 pages, 1758 KiB  
Article
Immunogenicity of Intradermal Versus Intramuscular BNT162b2 COVID-19 Booster Vaccine in Patients with Immune-Mediated Dermatologic Diseases: A Non-Inferiority Randomized Controlled Trial
by Chutima Seree-aphinan, Ploysyne Rattanakaemakorn, Poonkiat Suchonwanit, Kunlawat Thadanipon, Yanisa Ratanapokasatit, Tanat Yongpisarn, Kumthorn Malathum, Pornchai Simaroj, Chavachol Setthaudom, Onchuma Lohjai, Somsak Tanrattanakorn and Kumutnart Chanprapaph
Vaccines 2024, 12(1), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12010073 - 11 Jan 2024
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Abstract
The intradermal route has emerged as a dose-sparing alternative during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite its efficacy in healthy populations, its immunogenicity has not been tested in immune-mediated dermatologic disease (IMDD) patients. This assessor-blinded, randomized-controlled, non-inferiority trial recruited patients with two [...] Read more.
The intradermal route has emerged as a dose-sparing alternative during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite its efficacy in healthy populations, its immunogenicity has not been tested in immune-mediated dermatologic disease (IMDD) patients. This assessor-blinded, randomized-controlled, non-inferiority trial recruited patients with two representative IMDDs (i.e., psoriasis and autoimmune bullous diseases) to vaccinate with fractionated-dose intradermal (fID) or standard intramuscular (sIM) BNT162b2 vaccines as a fourth booster dose under block randomization stratified by age, sex, and their skin diseases. Post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG and interferon-γ responses measured 4 and 12 weeks post-intervention were serological surrogates used for demonstrating treatment effects. Mean differences in log-normalized outcome estimates were calculated with multivariable linear regression adjusting for their baseline values, systemic immunosuppressants used, and prior COVID-19 vaccination history. The non-inferiority margin was set for fID to retain >80% immunogenicity of sIM. With 109 participants included, 53 received fID (all entered an intention-to-treat analysis). The fID demonstrated non-inferiority to sIM in humoral (mean outcome estimates of sIM: 3.3, ΔfID-sIM [mean, 95%CI]: −0.1, −0.3 to 0.0) and cellular (mean outcome estimates of sIM: 3.2, ΔfID-sIM [mean, 95%CI]: 0.1, −0.2 to 0.3) immunogenicity outcomes. Two psoriasis patients from the fID arm (3.8%) developed injection-site Koebner’s phenomenon. Fewer fID recipients experienced post-vaccination fever (fID vs. sIM: 1.9% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.027). The overall incidence of disease flare-ups was low without a statistically significant difference between groups. The intradermal BNT162b2 vaccine is a viable booster option for IMDD patients troubled by post-vaccination fever; its role in mitigating the risk of flare-ups remains unclear. Full article
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