Magnitude and Durability of the Antibody Response to MRNA-Based Vaccination Among SARS-CoV-2 Seronegative and Seropositive Health Care Personnel

Overview

Journal Open Forum Infect Dis

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2024 Jan 31

PMID 38293246

Authors

Emily J Ciccone

Deanna R Zhu

Annika K Gunderson

Sam Hawke

Rawan Ajeen

Evans K Lodge

Bonnie E Shook-Sa

Haley Abernathy

Haley E Garrett

Elise King

Naseem Alavian

Raquel Reyes

Jasmine L Taylor

Cherese Beatty

Christy Chung

Carmen E Mendoza

David J Weber

Alena J Markmann

Lakshmanane Premkumar

Jonathan J Juliano

Ross M Boyce

Allison E Aiello

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Few studies have described changes in SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels in response to infection and vaccination at frequent intervals and over extended follow-up periods. The purpose of this study was to assess changes in SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody responses among a prospective cohort of health care personnel over 18 months with up to 22 samples per person. Antibody levels and live virus neutralization were measured before and after mRNA-based vaccination with results stratified by (1) SARS-CoV-2 infection status prior to initial vaccination and (2) SARS-CoV-2 infection at any point during follow-up. We found that the antibody response to the first dose was almost 2-fold higher in individuals who were seropositive prior to vaccination, although neutralization titers were more variable. The antibody response induced by vaccination appeared to wane over time but generally persisted for 8 to 9 months, and those who were infected at any point during the study had slightly higher antibody levels over time vs those who remained uninfected. These findings underscore the need to account for SARS-CoV-2 natural infection as a modifier of vaccine responses, and they highlight the importance of frequent testing of longitudinal antibody titers over time. Together, our results provide a clearer understanding of the trajectories of antibody response among vaccinated individuals with and without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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