For a study, various vaccinations were developed in response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Despite the elderly being prioritized in vaccination campaigns, real-life data on immune responses elicited in the most vulnerable category of vaccinees older than 80 years old was still underrepresented. To assess antibody responses to the first and second doses of the BNT162b2 coronavirus illness 2019 vaccination, the researchers conducted cohort research with two age groups: youthful vaccinees under the age of 60 and elderly vaccinees above the age of 80. Although both sets of participants produced specific immunoglobulin G antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, the elderly participants’ titers were much lower. Although senior participants had a larger increase in antibody levels following the second immunization, their absolute mean titer remained lower than the less than 60-year-old group. In comparison to the younger group, 31.3% of the elderly had no detectable neutralizing antibodies after the second vaccination, but just 2.2% of the younger group had no detectable neutralizing antibodies. The findings of researchers revealed disparities in antibody responses following the first and second BNT162b2 vaccinations, with the older group having lower frequencies of neutralizing antibodies. This showed that the population needed to be continuously monitored, and that earlier revaccination and/or an enhanced vaccine dose may be required to ensure stronger long-term immunity and infection prevention.
Link:academic.oup.com/cid/article/73/11/2065/6255965
