Humoral and T-Cell Response before and after a Fourth BNT162b2 Vaccine Dose in Adults ≥60 Years

Erez Bar-Haim; Noa Eliakim-Raz; Amos Stemmer; Hila Cohen; Uri Elia; Asaf Ness; Muhammad Awwad; Nassem Ghantous; Neta Moskovits; Shahar Rotem; Salomon M Stemmer

doi:10.3390/jcm11092649

Humoral and T-Cell Response before and after a Fourth BNT162b2 Vaccine Dose in Adults ≥60 Years

J Clin Med. 2022 May 8;11(9):2649. doi: 10.3390/jcm11092649.

Authors

Erez Bar-Haim¹, Noa Eliakim-Raz^{2

3

4}, Amos Stemmer⁵, Hila Cohen¹, Uri Elia¹, Asaf Ness², Muhammad Awwad², Nassem Ghantous², Neta Moskovits⁶, Shahar Rotem¹, Salomon M Stemmer^{4

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel.
² Department of Medicine E, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Petah Tikva 4941492, Israel.
³ Infectious Diseases Unit, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Petah Tikva 4941492, Israel.
⁴ Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
⁵ Department of Oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan 5224213, Israel.
⁶ Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
⁷ Davidoff Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Petah Tikva 4941492, Israel.

Abstract

Both humoral and cellular anamnestic responses are significant for protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2. In the current study, the responses in elderly people before and after a fourth vaccine dose of BNT162b2 were compared to those of individuals immunized with three vaccine doses. Although a boost effect was observed, the high response following the third administration questions the necessity of an early fourth boost.

Keywords: BNT162b2; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.