Age‐dependent and gender‐dependent antibody responses against SARS‐CoV‐2 in health workers and octogenarians after vaccination with the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine

Abstract

Efficacy of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 virus is of great importance to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic.1 The BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (Comirnaty) is the first approved by both FDA and EMA, due to its efficacy in apparently healthy adults.2 Recently, an assessment of the first vaccination dose effects among nursing facility residents and staff showed that there is some protection after the first injection.3 Here we present the kinetics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike-Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) IgGs and SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) development in health workers and octogenarians, who participated in a prospective study (NCT04743388) studying the efficacy of vaccination for the prevention of Covid-19. Major inclusion criteria for participation in this study included: (a) age above 18 years; (b) ability to sign the informed consent form, and (c) eligibility for vaccination, according to the national program for Covid-19 vaccination. Major exclusion criteria included the presence of: (a) autoimmune disorder under immunosuppressive therapy; (b) active malignant disease and (c) end-stage renal disease. Anti-Spike-RBD IgG antibodies (representing response to either prior infection or vaccine) and NAbs against SARS-CoV-2 were measured using FDA approved methods, that is, the Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S assay (Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, Germany) and the cPas SARS-CoV-2 NAbs Detection Kit (GenScript, Piscataway, NJ, USA),4 respectively; the latter allows the indirect detectio…