Covid-19 vaccination survey and anti-Sars-CoV-2 IgG responses in a human cohort from Schistosoma mansoni-endemic villages in Mayuge District, Uganda
A cross-sectional study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22073082 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mimi Niu (Hainan University), Yi Mu (0000-0002-6832-0954, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute), Moses Adriko (0000-0001-9748-1207, Ministry of Health), Rowel Candia (0000-0001-8634-5285, Ministry of Health), Malcolm K Jones (0000-0002-0035-6141, The University of Queensland), Donald P McManus (0000-0001-6443-1449, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute), Thomas G Egwang (0000-0001-8191-0898, corresponding author), Pengfei Cai (0000-0003-4975-4615, The University of Queensland, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Pages | 1437063-1437063 |
| Publication date | 2024-11-18 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1437063 |
| PMID | 39624416 |
| OpenAlex | W4404492056 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 40 |
Introduction The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in devastating health and economic consequences worldwide. Vaccination has been a central pillar for COVID-19 prevention and control. Understanding the immunomodulatory effects of helminth infections on COVID-19 vaccine-induced immune responses and vaccine efficacy is crucial to the development and deployment of effective vaccination strategies in low- and middle-income countries with a high prevalence of worms. Methods In September 2022, we conducted a cross-sectional, population-based survey in five Schistosoma mansoni endemic villages in Mayuge District, Uganda ( n = 450). The prevalence of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths was determined by the Kato-Katz (KK) technique on two stool samples collected from each participant. A subset of individuals ( n = 204) were interviewed in a COVID-19 vaccination survey. IgG levels against the SARS-CoV-2 spike S1 subunit (anti-S1 IgG) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in collected serum samples. Results The overall schistosomiasis and hookworm prevalence rates in the five villages were 36.4% (166/450) and 36.9% (168/450), respectively. Within the cohort, 69.78% (314/450) of the subjects had a positive anti-S1 IgG response. COVID-19 vaccination coverage among the interviewed participants was 93.14% (190/204; 95% CI, 88.8% − 95.9%). However, 81% (154/190) of COVID-19 vaccinees had an anti-S1 IgG titre ≤200. In an adolescent group receiving a single dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine ( n = 23), an inverse correlation was observed between anti-S1 IgG antibody level/titre and faecal egg count. Within the above group, anti-S1 IgG levels/titres were significantly lower in subjects with moderate or heavy S. mansoni infection ( n = 5) than those in KK-negative individuals ( n = 9). Conclusion Although the acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccination was high, the majority of participants received only a single vaccine dose and the overall anti-S1 IgG titres in confirmed vaccinees were low. Moderate-to-heavy schistosome infections blunted the antibody responses following vaccination with a single dose of BNT162b2. These observations confirm the necessity for a second COVID-19 vaccine dose for two-dose primary immunization series and call for implementation research that may inform the development of a ‘treat and vaccinate’ policy during vaccination roll-out in regions with heavy worm burdens
Cohort · Cross-sectional study · Disease · Environmental health · Helminths · Pandemic · Population · Schistosoma · Schistosoma mansoni · Schistosomiasis · Vaccination · Immune responses and vaccinations · Medicine · Parasite Biology and Host Interactions · Parasites and Host Interactions · Immunology · Internal Medicine · Virology
| Highly cited | No |
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