AUTHOR=Paramithiotis Eustache , Sugden Scott , Papp Eszter , Bonhomme Marie , Chermak Todd , Crawford Stephanie Y. , Demetriades Stefanie Z. , Galdos Gerson , Lambert Bruce L. , Mattison John , McDade Thomas , Pillet Stephane , Murphy Robert TITLE=Cellular Immunity Is Critical for Assessing COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness in Immunocompromised Individuals JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=13 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.880784 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2022.880784 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=

COVID-19 vaccine clinical development was conducted with unprecedented speed. Immunity measurements were concentrated on the antibody response which left significant gaps in our understanding how robust and long-lasting immune protection develops. Better understanding the cellular immune response will fill those gaps, especially in the elderly and immunocompromised populations which not only have the highest risk for severe infection, but also frequently have inadequate antibody responses. Although cellular immunity measurements are more logistically complex to conduct for clinical trials compared to antibody measurements, the feasibility and benefit of doing them in clinical trials has been demonstrated and so should be more widely adopted. Adding significant cellular response metrics will provide a deeper understanding of the overall immune response to COVID-19 vaccination, which will significantly inform vaccination strategies for the most vulnerable populations. Better monitoring of overall immunity will also substantially benefit other vaccine development efforts, and indeed any therapies that involve the immune system as part of the therapeutic strategy.