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Immune Netw
. 2023 Aug 11;23(4):e33.
doi: 10.4110/in.2023.23.e33. eCollection 2023 Aug. SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine Elicits Sustained T Cell Responses Against the Omicron Variant in Adolescents
Sujin Choi 1 2 , Sang-Hoon Kim 3 , Mi Seon Han 2 4 , Yoonsun Yoon 5 , Yun-Kyung Kim 6 , Hye-Kyung Cho 7 , Ki Wook Yun 2 8 , Seung Ha Song 2 8 , Bin Ahn 2 8 , Ye Kyung Kim 2 8 , Sung Hwan Choi 8 , Young June Choe 9 , Heeji Lim 10 , Eun Bee Choi 10 , Kwangwook Kim 10 , Seokhwan Hyeon 10 , Hye Jung Lim 10 , Byung-Chul Kim 10 , Yoo-Kyoung Lee 10 , Eun Hwa Choi 2 8 , Eui-Cheol Shin 3 11 , Hyunju Lee 1 2
Affiliations
Vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been acknowledged as an effective mean of preventing infection and hospitalization. However, the emergence of highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) has led to substantial increase in infections among children and adolescents. Vaccine-induced immunity and longevity have not been well defined in this population. Therefore, we aimed to analyze humoral and cellular immune responses against ancestral and SARS-CoV-2 variants after two shots of the BNT162b2 vaccine in healthy adolescents. Although vaccination induced a robust increase of spike-specific binding Abs and neutralizing Abs against the ancestral and SARS-CoV-2 variants, the neutralizing activity against the Omicron variant was significantly low. On the contrary, vaccine-induced memory CD4+ T cells exhibited substantial responses against both ancestral and Omicron spike proteins. Notably, CD4+ T cell responses against both ancestral and Omicron strains were preserved at 3 months after two shots of the BNT162b2 vaccine without waning. Polyfunctionality of vaccine-induced memory T cells was also preserved in response to Omicron spike protein. The present findings characterize the protective immunity of vaccination for adolescents in the era of continuous emergence of variants/subvariants.
Keywords: Adolescent; COVID-19 vaccines; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 variants.
. 2023 Aug 11;23(4):e33.
doi: 10.4110/in.2023.23.e33. eCollection 2023 Aug. SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine Elicits Sustained T Cell Responses Against the Omicron Variant in Adolescents
Sujin Choi 1 2 , Sang-Hoon Kim 3 , Mi Seon Han 2 4 , Yoonsun Yoon 5 , Yun-Kyung Kim 6 , Hye-Kyung Cho 7 , Ki Wook Yun 2 8 , Seung Ha Song 2 8 , Bin Ahn 2 8 , Ye Kyung Kim 2 8 , Sung Hwan Choi 8 , Young June Choe 9 , Heeji Lim 10 , Eun Bee Choi 10 , Kwangwook Kim 10 , Seokhwan Hyeon 10 , Hye Jung Lim 10 , Byung-Chul Kim 10 , Yoo-Kyoung Lee 10 , Eun Hwa Choi 2 8 , Eui-Cheol Shin 3 11 , Hyunju Lee 1 2
Affiliations
- PMID: 37670807
- PMCID: PMC10475828
- DOI: 10.4110/in.2023.23.e33
Vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been acknowledged as an effective mean of preventing infection and hospitalization. However, the emergence of highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) has led to substantial increase in infections among children and adolescents. Vaccine-induced immunity and longevity have not been well defined in this population. Therefore, we aimed to analyze humoral and cellular immune responses against ancestral and SARS-CoV-2 variants after two shots of the BNT162b2 vaccine in healthy adolescents. Although vaccination induced a robust increase of spike-specific binding Abs and neutralizing Abs against the ancestral and SARS-CoV-2 variants, the neutralizing activity against the Omicron variant was significantly low. On the contrary, vaccine-induced memory CD4+ T cells exhibited substantial responses against both ancestral and Omicron spike proteins. Notably, CD4+ T cell responses against both ancestral and Omicron strains were preserved at 3 months after two shots of the BNT162b2 vaccine without waning. Polyfunctionality of vaccine-induced memory T cells was also preserved in response to Omicron spike protein. The present findings characterize the protective immunity of vaccination for adolescents in the era of continuous emergence of variants/subvariants.
Keywords: Adolescent; COVID-19 vaccines; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 variants.