What is it about?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers were at particularly high risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2. We investigated antibody responses among healthcare workers in South Africa following vaccination and previous infection, using rapid antibody testing to detect antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and nucleocapsid. The study examined whether antibodies were detectable in vaccinated and previously infected individuals and considered how antibody responses changed over time.
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Why is it important?
Vaccination provides an important defence against SARS-CoV-2, but antibody responses do not remain constant indefinitely. We found detectable antibodies in most of the healthcare workers studied, with particularly strong responses among individuals who had both been vaccinated and previously infected. The findings highlighted the importance of monitoring antibody responses over time and maintaining vaccination strategies to support protection among healthcare workers.
Perspectives
The study also highlighted the challenges of interpreting antibody responses during an evolving pandemic. Antibody levels can decline over time, and antibody detection alone does not capture every component of protective immunity. Nevertheless, understanding the durability of vaccine-induced responses is important when considering booster strategies and ongoing protection of healthcare workers. Longer-term surveillance is needed to understand how vaccination and previous infection interact to shape population-level immunity.
Dr Catherine Worsley
University of Pretoria
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Decline in antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 post-vaccination poses a risk to health care workers, Journal of Infection, September 2022, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2022.06.008.
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