Scientific Reports (Sep 2022)

Elevated serum IgA following vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in a cohort of high-risk first responders

  • Brian T. Montague,
  • Matthew F. Wipperman,
  • Erica Chio,
  • Rowena Crow,
  • Andrea T. Hooper,
  • Meagan P. O’Brien,
  • Eric A. F. Simões

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19095-7
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 5

Abstract

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Abstract IgA plays an important early neutralizing role after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Systemically administered vaccines typically produce an IgM/IgG predominant response. We evaluated the serum anti-spike (anti-S) IgG, anti-nucleocapsid (anti-N) IgG and anti-S IgA response following vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in a cohort of first-responders. Among the 378 completely vaccinated participants, 98% were positive for anti-S IgG and 96% were positive for anti-S IgA. Nine percent were positive for anti-N IgG suggesting prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2. No statistically significant difference was seen in IgA response based on prior evidence infection (p = 0.18). Ninety-eight of those receiving the Moderna vaccine (98%) were positive for anti-S IgA as compared to 91% of those who received the Pfizer vaccine (p = 0.0009). The high proportion of participants observed to have a positive anti-S IgA response after vaccination suggests that the vaccines elicit a systemic response characterized by elevated levels of both IgG and IgA.