tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
BMC Infect Dis
. 2024 Apr 24;24(1):436.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-024-09338-5. Follow-up SARS-CoV-2 serological study of a health care worker cohort following COVID-19 booster vaccination
Alexander Hönning[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sara Tomczyk[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Julia Hermes[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Marica Grossegesse[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Natalie Hofmann[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Janine Michel[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Markus Neumann[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Andreas Nitsche[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Berthold Hoppe[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Tim Eckmanns[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Hajo Schmidt-Traub[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Kristina Zappel[SUP] 7 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background: Studies have shown that Omicron breakthrough infections can occur at higher SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels compared to previous variants. Estimating the magnitude of immunological protection induced from COVID-19 vaccination and previous infection remains important due to varying local pandemic dynamics and types of vaccination programmes, particularly among at-risk populations such as health care workers (HCWs). We analysed a follow-up SARS-CoV-2 serological survey of HCWs at a tertiary COVID-19 referral hospital in Germany following the onset of the Omicron variant.
Methods: The serological survey was conducted in January 2022, one year after previous surveys in 2020 and the availability of COVID-19 boosters including BNT162b2, ChAdOx1-S, and mRNA-1273. HCWs voluntarily provided blood for serology and completed a comprehensive questionnaire. SARS-CoV-2 serological analyses were performed using an Immunoglobulin G (IgG) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antibody levels were reported according to HCW demographic and occupational characteristics, COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection history, and multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate these associations.
Results: In January 2022 (following the fourth COVID-19 wave in Germany including the onset of the Omicron variant), 1482/1517 (97.7%) HCWs tested SARS-CoV-2 seropositive, compared to 4.6% in December 2020 (second COVID-19 wave). Approximately 80% had received three COVID-19 vaccine doses and 15% reported a previous laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. SARS-CoV-2 IgG geometric mean titres ranged from 335 (95% Confidence Intervals [CI]: 258-434) among those vaccinated twice and without previous infection to 2204 (95% CI: 1919-2531) among those vaccinated three times and with previous infection. Heterologous COVID-19 vaccination combinations including a mRNA-1273 booster were significantly associated with the highest IgG antibody levels compared to other schemes. There was an 8-to 10-fold increase in IgG antibody levels among 31 HCWs who reported a SARS-CoV-2 infection in May 2020 to January 2022 after COVID-19 booster vaccination.
Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate the importance of ongoing COVID-19 booster vaccination strategies in the context of variants such as Omicron and despite hybrid immunity from previous SARS-CoV-2 infections, particularly for at-risk populations such as HCWs. Where feasible, effective types of booster vaccination, such as mRNA vaccines, and the appropriate timing of administration should be carefully considered.
Keywords: Germany; Health care worker; SARS-CoV-2; Tertiary care hospital; Vaccine.
. 2024 Apr 24;24(1):436.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-024-09338-5. Follow-up SARS-CoV-2 serological study of a health care worker cohort following COVID-19 booster vaccination
Alexander Hönning[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sara Tomczyk[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Julia Hermes[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Marica Grossegesse[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Natalie Hofmann[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Janine Michel[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Markus Neumann[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Andreas Nitsche[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Berthold Hoppe[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Tim Eckmanns[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Hajo Schmidt-Traub[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Kristina Zappel[SUP] 7 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 38658874
- DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09338-5
Background: Studies have shown that Omicron breakthrough infections can occur at higher SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels compared to previous variants. Estimating the magnitude of immunological protection induced from COVID-19 vaccination and previous infection remains important due to varying local pandemic dynamics and types of vaccination programmes, particularly among at-risk populations such as health care workers (HCWs). We analysed a follow-up SARS-CoV-2 serological survey of HCWs at a tertiary COVID-19 referral hospital in Germany following the onset of the Omicron variant.
Methods: The serological survey was conducted in January 2022, one year after previous surveys in 2020 and the availability of COVID-19 boosters including BNT162b2, ChAdOx1-S, and mRNA-1273. HCWs voluntarily provided blood for serology and completed a comprehensive questionnaire. SARS-CoV-2 serological analyses were performed using an Immunoglobulin G (IgG) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antibody levels were reported according to HCW demographic and occupational characteristics, COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection history, and multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate these associations.
Results: In January 2022 (following the fourth COVID-19 wave in Germany including the onset of the Omicron variant), 1482/1517 (97.7%) HCWs tested SARS-CoV-2 seropositive, compared to 4.6% in December 2020 (second COVID-19 wave). Approximately 80% had received three COVID-19 vaccine doses and 15% reported a previous laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. SARS-CoV-2 IgG geometric mean titres ranged from 335 (95% Confidence Intervals [CI]: 258-434) among those vaccinated twice and without previous infection to 2204 (95% CI: 1919-2531) among those vaccinated three times and with previous infection. Heterologous COVID-19 vaccination combinations including a mRNA-1273 booster were significantly associated with the highest IgG antibody levels compared to other schemes. There was an 8-to 10-fold increase in IgG antibody levels among 31 HCWs who reported a SARS-CoV-2 infection in May 2020 to January 2022 after COVID-19 booster vaccination.
Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate the importance of ongoing COVID-19 booster vaccination strategies in the context of variants such as Omicron and despite hybrid immunity from previous SARS-CoV-2 infections, particularly for at-risk populations such as HCWs. Where feasible, effective types of booster vaccination, such as mRNA vaccines, and the appropriate timing of administration should be carefully considered.
Keywords: Germany; Health care worker; SARS-CoV-2; Tertiary care hospital; Vaccine.