Induction of robust cellular and humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2 after a third dose of BNT162b2 vaccine in previously unresponsive older adults

• Published in: Nature microbiology Vol. 7; no. 2; pp. 195 - 199
• Main Authors: Romero-Olmedo, Addi J., Schulz, Axel Ronald, Hochstätter, Svenja, Das Gupta, Dennis, Virta, Iiris, Hirseland, Heike, Staudenraus, Daniel, Camara, Bärbel, Münch, Carina, Hefter, Véronique, Sapre, Siddhesh, Krähling, Verena, Müller-Kräuter, Helena, Widera, Marek, Mei, Henrik E., Keller, Christian, Lohoff, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01-02-2022; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 13/1; 13/21; 13/31; 13/56; 631/250/590/2293; 692/308; Adult; Age Factors; Aged, 80 and over; Antibodies; Antibodies, Neutralizing - blood; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Biomedical and Life Sciences; BNT162 Vaccine - administration & dosage; BNT162 Vaccine - immunology; Brief Communication; COVID-19 - immunology; COVID-19 - prevention & control; Humans; Humoral immunity; Immunity, Cellular; Immunity, Humoral; Immunization, Secondary - methods; Immunization, Secondary - statistics & numerical data; Immunogenicity, Vaccine; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Infectious Diseases; Life Sciences; Lymphocytes T; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Neutralization Tests; Older people; Parasitology; SARS-CoV-2 - immunology; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Vaccination; Virology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 2058-5276; 2058-5276
• DOI: 10.1038/s41564-021-01046-z

Here we compared SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody and T-cell responses between older adults (>80 years old,
n
 = 51) and a younger control group (20–53 years old,
n
 = 46) after receiving two doses of BNT162b2. We found that responses in older adults were generally lower, and we identified 10% low-/non-responders. After receiving a third vaccination with BNT162b2, 4 out of 5 low-/non-responders showed antibody and T-cell responses similar to those of responders after two vaccinations.
A third vaccination with BNT162b2 against SARS-CoV-2 elicits antibody and T-cell responses in 4 out of 5 reported older adults who were previously low-/non-responders.