{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,15]],"date-time":"2026-01-15T11:31:04Z","timestamp":1768476664768,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,27]],"date-time":"2022-07-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1658880000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In response to a large outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 Beta (B.1.351) variant in the district Schwaz, Austria, a rapid mass vaccination campaign with BNT162b2 was carried out in spring 2021, immunizing more than 70% of the adult population within one week. Subsequent analysis revealed that the mass vaccination was associated with a significant reduction in new SARS-CoV-2 infections compared to control districts. Here, we aimed to evaluate both SARS-CoV-2-specific T- and B-cell responses at 35 \u00b1 8 and 215 \u00b1 7 days after the second dose in 600 study subjects who participated at both time points. Overall, a robust antibody and T-cell response was measured at day 35, which waned over time. Nevertheless, all persons preserved seropositivity and T cell response could still be detected in about half of the participants at day 215. Further, antibody response correlated negatively with age; however, in persons who experienced SARS-CoV-2 infection prior to study enrolment, the serum levels of both S- and N-specific antibodies surprisingly increased with age. In contrast, there was no correlation of T cell response with age. We could not detect any sex-related difference in the immune responses. SARS-CoV-2 infections prior to study enrolment or incident infections before day 215 resulted in higher antibody levels and T cell responses at day 215 compared to study participants with no history of infection. Collectively, our data support that vaccination with BNT162b2 against COVID-19 provides a durable immune response and emphasize the usefulness of vaccination even after a natural infection.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v14081642","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,29]],"date-time":"2022-07-29T01:41:16Z","timestamp":1659058876000},"page":"1642","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Six-Month Follow-Up of Immune Responses after a Rapid Mass Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 with BNT162b2 in the District of Schwaz\/Austria"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3826-5800","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zolt\u00e1n","family":"B\u00e1nki","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lisa","family":"Seekircher","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Epidemiology Team, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Barbara","family":"Falkensammer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5617-8022","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"David","family":"Bante","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Helena","family":"Sch\u00e4fer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Teresa","family":"Harthaller","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5210-7905","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Janine","family":"Kimpel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1866-7159","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Peter","family":"Willeit","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Epidemiology Team, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"},{"name":"Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dorothee","family":"von Laer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8011-5825","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wegene","family":"Borena","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1761","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa2110345","article-title":"Safety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine through 6 Months","volume":"385","author":"Thomas","year":"2021","journal-title":"N. 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