Elsevier

Vaccine

Volume 39, Issue 31, 13 July 2021, Pages 4256-4260
Vaccine

Short communication
Long-term antibody persistence and exceptional vaccination response on previously SARS-CoV-2 infected subjects

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.06.020Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

The first COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed to the general population. However, the shortage of doses is slowing down the goal of reaching herd immunity. The aim of the study was to verify whether previously SARS-CoV-2 infected subjects, a considerable portion of the population, should receive the same vaccination treatment of seronegative individuals.

Methods

Health-professionals either recovered from COVID-19 or never infected by SARS-CoV-2 were serologically tested at different time-points right before, and several days after, vaccination.

Results

Previously infected individuals showed humoral immune responses, 21 days after the first dose, that was approximately 10-folds higher than the seronegative group 21 days after the second dose. Seropositivity persists for at least 11 months.

Conclusion

During a shortage of COVID-19 vaccine doses, previously SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals should be dispensed from the vaccination campaign. When dose availability returns to normality, injection of a single dose for seropositive individuals should be considered.

Keywords

COVID-19
Serological test
mRNA vaccine
Roche Anti-SARS-CoV-2-S
Immune response
Vaccination

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