Increased Mild Vaccine-Related Side Effects and Higher Specific Antibody Titers in Health Care Workers with Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection after the mRNA BNT162b2 Vaccine
Ludovica Ferrari,
Mirko Compagno,
Laura Campogiani,
Elisabetta Teti,
Tiziana Mulas,
Davide Checchi,
Grazia Alessio,
Federica Caldara,
Luigi Coppola,
Giuseppe De Simone,
Laura Ceccarelli,
Ilaria Spalliera,
Pietro Vitale,
Sandro Grelli,
Massimo Andreoni,
Loredana Sarmati,
Marco Iannetta
Affiliations
Ludovica Ferrari
Infectious Diseases Clinic, Policlinic of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Mirko Compagno
Infectious Diseases Clinic, Policlinic of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Laura Campogiani
Infectious Diseases Clinic, Policlinic of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Elisabetta Teti
Infectious Diseases Clinic, Policlinic of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Tiziana Mulas
Infectious Diseases Clinic, Policlinic of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Davide Checchi
Infectious Diseases Clinic, Policlinic of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Grazia Alessio
Infectious Diseases Clinic, Policlinic of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Federica Caldara
Infectious Diseases Clinic, Policlinic of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Luigi Coppola
Infectious Diseases Clinic, Policlinic of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Giuseppe De Simone
Infectious Diseases Clinic, Policlinic of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Laura Ceccarelli
Infectious Diseases Clinic, Policlinic of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Ilaria Spalliera
Infectious Diseases Clinic, Policlinic of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Pietro Vitale
Infectious Diseases Clinic, Policlinic of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Sandro Grelli
Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Massimo Andreoni
Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
Loredana Sarmati
Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
Marco Iannetta
Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
Background: to evaluate whether prior SARS-CoV-2 infection affects side effects and specific antibody production after vaccination with BNT162b2. Methods: We included 1106 health care workers vaccinated with BNT162b2. We assessed whether prior SARS-CoV-2 infection affects the number and type of side effects and performed a nested case–control analysis comparing plasma levels of specific IgG titers between SARS-CoV-2-naïve and previously infected subjects after the first and the second vaccine doses. Results: After the first dose, SARS-CoV-2-naïve subjects experienced side effects more often than SARS-CoV-2 naïve subjects. Individuals with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection more often reported pain at the injection site, weakness, and fever than SARS-CoV-2-naïve subjects. After the second dose, the frequency of side effects was similar in the two groups. All subjects with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection developed either a high (>100 AU/mL) or intermediate (10–100 AU/mL) antibody titer. Among SARS-CoV-2-naïve subjects, the majority developed an intermediate titer. After the second dose, a high (>2000 AU/mL) antibody titer was more common among subjects with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. Conclusions: vaccine-related side effects and a higher anti-SARS-CoV-2-RBD IgG titer were more common in subjects with previous infection than in SARS-CoV-2-naïve after the first, but not after the second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine.
