SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell and humoral immune responses upon vaccination with BNT162b2: a 9 months longitudinal study

Abstract

Abstract The humoral and cellular immune responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) upon the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination remain to be clarified. Hence, we aimed to investigate the long-term chronological changes in SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibody, neutralizing antibody, and T cell responses during and after receiving the BNT162b2 vaccine. We performed serological, neutralization, and T cell assays among 100 hospital workers aged 22–73 years who received the vaccine. We conducted seven surveys up to 8 months after the second vaccination dose. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-specific IgG (IgG-S) titers and T cell responses increased significantly following the first vaccination dose. The highest titers were observed on day 29 and decreased gradually until the end of the follow-up period. There was no correlation between IgG-S and T cell responses. Notably, T cell responses were detected on day 15, earlier than the onset of neutralizing activity. This study demonstrated that both IgG-S and T cell responses were detected before acquiring sufficient levels of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. These immune responses are sustained for approximately 6 to 10 weeks but not for 7 months or later following the second vaccination, indicating the need for the booster dose (i.e., third vaccination).