A prime-boost strategy of COVID-19 vaccines brings hope to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2, while the immunogenicity of the vaccines is waning over time. Whether a booster dose of vaccine is needed has become a widely controversial issue. However, no published meta-analysis has focused on the issue. Therefore, this study assessed the immunogenicity and safety of the different combinations of prime-boost vaccinations. Electronic databases including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, medRxiv, Wanfang and CNKI were used to retrieve the original studies. A total of 28 studies, 9 combinations of prime-boost vaccinations and 5870 subjects were included in the meta-analysis, and random effect models were used to estimate pooled immunogenicity and safety. The immunity against COVID-19 after the prime vaccination waned over time, especially in the populations primed with inactivated vaccines, in which the seropositive rate of antibodies was only 28% (95% CI: 17-40%). Booster vaccination could significantly increase the antibody responses, and heterologous immunization was more effective than homologous immunization (neutralization titers: 1.65 vs. 1.27; anti-RBD IgG: 1.85 vs. 1.15); in particular, the combination of inactivated-mRNA vaccines had the highest antibody responses (neutralization titers: MRAW = 3.64, 95% CI: 3.54-3.74; anti-RBD IgG: 3.73, 95% CI: 3.59-3.87). Moreover, compared with the initial two doses of vaccines, a booster dose did not induce additional or severe adverse events. The administration of the booster dose effectively recalled specific immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 and increased antibody levels, especially in heterologous immunization. Considering the long-term immunogenicity and vaccine equity, we suggest that now, only individuals primed with inactivated vaccines require a booster dose.
Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine; booster; heterologous; homologous; immunogenicity; safety.