Second COVID-19 Booster Ineffective for Elderly: 'Journal of Medical Virology'
Study authors speculate second booster impaired by "suboptimal priming or rapid waning."
A brand new study published today in the Journal of Medical Virology reveals that the second COVID-19 booster shot does not significantly enhance immune responses in elderly nursing home residents.
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The study authors are affiliated with the INCLIVA Health Research Institute and the University of Valencia in Valencia, Spain, as well as Madrid’s Instituto de Salud Carlos III.
The research focused on the T-cell responses before and after administering the first and second booster doses of mRNA vaccines.
T-cells are crucial components of the immune system, with CD8+ T cells playing a role in killing virus-infected cells and CD4+ T cells assisting other immune functions.
Significantly, the second booster shot (4D) resulted in a notable decrease in the immune response:
“Following 4D, a nonsignificant decrease in the frequencies of both T cell subsets was noticed (p = 0.94 for CD8+ T cells and p = 0.06 for CD4+ T cells),” the study reads.
Moreover, “the percentage of participants with detectable SARS-S-CoV-2 CD4+ T-cell responses decreased post-4D (p = 0.035)."
The insignificant impact of the second booster raises questions about its necessity and effectiveness in elderly populations.
This decline could be due to “suboptimal priming or rapid waning” of the immune response, highlighting potential challenges in boosting immunity in this age group via vaccination.
“Suboptimal priming” means the initial vaccine doses didn’t fully prepare the immune system, while “rapid waning” refers to the quick decline in immunity over time.
While the authors promote vaccination, they admit the effect of a second booster shot “might be negligible.”
You can download the full study here:
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