Durability of humoral and cellular immunity six months after the
BNT162b2 bivalent booster
Abstract
Introduction Studies about the duration of the humoral and
cellular response following the bivalent booster administration are
still scarce. We aimed at assessing the humoral and cellular response in
a cohort of healthcare workers that received this booster.
Material and methods Blood samples were collected before the
administration of the bivalent booster from Pfizer-BioNTech and after
14, 28, 90, and 180 days. Neutralizing antibodies against either the
D614G strain, the delta variant, the BA.5 variant, or the XBB.1.5
subvariant were measured. The cellular response was assessed by
measurement of the release of interferon gamma (IFNγ) from T cells in
response to an in vitro SARS-CoV-2 stimulation. Results
A substantial waning of neutralizing antibodies was observed after 6
months (23.1‐fold decrease), especially considering the XBB.1.5
subvariant. The estimated T 1/2 of neutralizing
antibodies was 16.1 days (95% CI=10.2–38.4 days). Although most
participants still present a robust cellular response after 6 months
(i.e., 95%), a significant decrease was also observed compared to the
peak response (0.41 versus 0.95 UI/L, p=0.0083). Conclusion A
significant waning of the humoral and cellular response was observed
after 6 months. These data can also help national competent authorities
in their recommendation regarding the administration of an additional
booster.