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Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 has led to >270 million infections and >5 million deaths globally. Indigenous people are disproportionately affected by infectious diseases, therefore also more susceptible to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are an estimated 476 million indigenous people globally, including an estimated 798,365 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in Australia. With the high vulnerability to COVID-19, this knowledge is urgently needed to better protect indigenous populations.

We evaluated a breadth of immune responses in indigenous (n=57) and non-indigenous (n=49) individuals after COVID-19 vaccination. We tested RBD antibodies, spike/RBD-probe-specific B cells, peptide stimulations with activation-induced marker (AIM) assay and intracellular cytokine staining.

We found 22% and 34% seroconversion rates after 1st dose of BNT162b2 vaccine for Indigenous and non-indigenous individuals, respectively, which increased to 100% at 1-mth after 2nd dose for both groups. RBD-specific IgG levels in indigenous individuals at 1-mth after 2nd dose positively correlated with their body mass index. At 1-mth after the 2nd COVID-19 vaccination, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses via AIM expression and IFN-γ+ TNF+ production was comparable between indigenous and non-indigenous individuals. We are also going to assess the longevity of antibodies and T cells.

Therefore, COVID-19 vaccination induced similar immune responses in indigenous and non-indigenous individuals.

Copyright © 2022 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.
This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model (https://dbpia.nl.go.kr/pages/standard-publication-reuse-rights)
Issue Section:
Vaccination and Immunotherapy against COVID-19
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