Researchers from Innsbruck want to know what the best recipe is for long-term protection against the pathogen SARS-CoV-2.
The most reliable is therefore a double vaccination plus a survived infection. Because then the immune system of those affected has the best defense with antibodies and T-cell-mediated response against a possible infection, according to the report published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
Michael Jäger from the Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology at MedUni Innsbruck and the co-authors investigated the status of the immune system against SARS-CoV-2 in the laboratory in three groups with blood samples from 137 subjects: two times the vector vaccine ChAdOx1 (AstraZeneca) and then boosted with an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), received BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 three times, or contracted a SARS-CoV-2 infection after two vaccinations. The question of who responds best with their immune system after different types of contact with virus antigens has become particularly interesting with the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Concerns about virus variants
The scientists describe: “The emergence of the SARS-CoV2 omicron variants BA.1, BA.2 and BA.4/5 showed higher rates of transmission and infection than previous virus variants, raising concerns.” Therefore you would have them directly compare the immunological response to the different vaccination options and also to the combination with a “natural” infection. Because the immune response consists of both a “humoral” response, where antibodies are produced against the virus, and a T cell-mediated response (T cells directly attacking infected cells), all of these aspects were analyzed in the laboratory.
The results were similar for both the antibody response and the T cell response. “Vaccination and recovery resulted in the highest SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody levels, stronger T cell responses, and the best neutralizing capacity against wild-type, delta, and omicron BA.2 and BA.4/5 virus variants,” the authors wrote. scientists. Vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine and the subsequent mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) increased the neutralization potential against the Omicron BA.1 variant. All combinations of the vector vaccine (AstraZeneca) with one of the two mRNA vaccines gave better effects against SARS-CoV-2 BA.2 and the BA.4/5 variants compared to a triple mRNA vaccination.
Source: Krone
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