Concurrent Administration of COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccines Enhances Spike-Specific Antibody Responses

Abstract

Background

The bivalent COVID-19 mRNA boosters became available in fall 2022 and were recommended alongside the seasonal influenza vaccine. However, the immunogenicity of concurrent vs separate administration of these vaccines remains unclear.

Methods

Here, we analyzed antibody responses in health care workers who received the bivalent COVID-19 booster and the influenza vaccine on the same day or on different days through systems serology. Antibody-binding and functional responses were characterized at peak responses and after 6 months following vaccination.

Results

IgG1 and neutralization responses to SARS-CoV-2 XBB.1.5 were higher at peak and after 6 months following concurrent administration as compared with separate administration of the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines. While similar results were not observed for influenza responses, no interference was noted with concurrent administration.

Conclusions

These data suggest that concurrent administration of these vaccines may yield higher and more durable SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody responses while maintaining responses against influenza.

This Zenodo record is a permanently preserved version of a Structured PREreview. You can view the complete PREreview at https://prereview.org/reviews/10070269.

Does the introduction explain the objective of the research presented in the preprint? Yes The introduction does a great job by stating the research question and methods of the preprint. It is clear by giving a brief background on how COVID-19 vaccines are administered alongside influenza vaccines in healthcare workers. This preprint studies the association between these bivalent vaccines and the immunological benefit of the concurrent vaccines.

Are the methods well-suited for this research? Somewhat appropriate Yes the methods were well suited for this research because they assess the antibody profiling within each group. The groups were divided into participants who received both influenza and COVID-19 vaccines on the same day, and those who received the different vaccines on different days. This is appropriate as the research is able to compare the data within both groups and attest to an accurate representation of immunological benefits.

Are the conclusions supported by the data? Highly supported Yes, the discussion/conclusion section interprets the findings of the data clearly and are well supported. The address found that an increase in antibodies(Spike-specific IgG1) was significantly greater within the bivalent vaccine individuals compared to the other group. However, they did address the limitations of having a small cohort for the study which enables a good representation of the general public.

Are the data presentations, including visualizations, well-suited to represent the data? Somewhat appropriate and clear The data visualizations were easy to understand and represented the date findings. Although the preprint only included two visualizations it was sufficient to interpret the data.

How clearly do the authors discuss, explain, and interpret their findings and potential next steps for the research? Somewhat clearly The authors do a good job interpreting the findings of the research and discussing the data. They interpret the data using visual graphics and break down what the data represents. By explaining the results they acknowledge why this data is important and how it contributes to the overall answer to the research question.

Is the preprint likely to advance academic knowledge? Highly likely Yes I think this preprint is an insight on the occurring vaccine trials and a gateway to new research. It gives individuals within and outside the healthcare industry insight on what is going on primarily how the COVID-19 vaccines affect our immunological system.

Would it benefit from language editing? No

Would you recommend this preprint to others? Yes, it's of high quality Yes I would recommend this preprint to others because it provides more information on how vaccines work, and how researchers continue to make findings on the COVID-19 vaccine as well as influenza vaccine. Learning more about ongoing research is important to keep up to date with the findings, especially because this paper shows an impact on the immune system and vaccine benefits.

Is it ready for attention from an editor, publisher or broader audience? Yes, after minor changes Yes this preprint has potential to be better because the findings are beneficial. However, as it was mentioned in the discussion the cohort could be improved to more participants that would make the findings more generalizable.

Competing interests

The author declares that they have no competing interests.

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