Covid-19 vaccination in immunocompromised individuals: An interdisciplinary framework to gain clinical and mechanistic insight into durable immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection

There is a clear knowledge gap of whether patients with immunosuppressive disorders can generate durable immunity and protection after Covid-19 vaccination.

To address this question, we here assemble a interdisciplinary team of Covid-19 clinicians and researchers in four county councils. Aim 1.

We aim to define the effect of Covid-19 by evaluating presence and persistence of antibody and cell- mediated immune responses, and assess safety in Covid-19 vaccinated patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiencies compared to healthy controls.

Also, through linkage of national registers, protective effect for severe Covid-19 will be evaluated on a nationwide level in immunocompromised persons. Aim 2.

We aim to define correlates of an effective vaccine response (high neutralization capacity) from studies on patients with different immunological profiles/deficiencies. Also, emergence of new variants in immunocompromised patients after vaccination will be examined.

Collection of unique samples from 1040 individuals from two phase 4 clinical trials, together with the use of cutting-edge immunological, single-cell technologies and usage of national registers will be the central tenets of this project proposal, where we hypothesize that most patients, despite their immunological status, will generate some type of immune response and thereby gain from vaccination.

This information will have implications for future vaccination guidelines in this frail population.