SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine ElicitsSustained T Cell Responses Against the Omicron Variant in Adolescents
- Author:
Sujin CHOI
1
;
Sang-Hoon KIM
;
Mi Seon HAN
;
Yoonsun YOON
;
Yun-Kyung KIM
;
Hye-Kyung CHO
;
Ki Wook YUN
;
Seung Ha SONG
;
Bin AHN
;
Ye Kyung KIM
;
Sung Hwan CHOI
;
Young June CHOE
;
Heeji LIM
;
Eun Bee CHOI
;
Kwangwook KIM
;
Seokhwan HYEON
;
Hye Jung LIM
;
Byung-chul KIM
;
Yoo-kyoung LEE
;
Eun Hwa CHOI
;
Eui-Cheol SHIN
;
Hyunju LEE
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Immune Network 2023;23(4):e33-
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: 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. Vaccineinduced immunity and longevity have not been well defined in this population. Therefore, we aimed to analyze humoral and cellular immune responses against ancestral and SARSCoV-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.
