New study shows covid infection weakens immune-cell response to vaccination
21 Mar 2023 01:15pm
picture for illustrative purposes - FILEPIC
LOS ANGELES - The magnitude and quality of a key immune cell's response to vaccination with two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were considerably lower in people with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to people without prior infection, according to a new study published on Monday.
The study, co-funded by the US National Institutes of Health, also found the level of this key immune cell that targets the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was substantially lower in unvaccinated people with COVID-19 than in vaccinated people who had never been infected, said Xinhua.
The study, published in the journal Immunity, suggests that the virus damages important immune-cell response.
The new findings highlight the need to develop vaccination strategies to specifically boost antiviral CD8+ T cell responses in people previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, according to the researchers - BERNAMA