Low dose mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine generates durable T cell memory and antibodies enhanced by pre-existing crossreactive T cell memory

Abstract

Understanding human immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 RNA vaccines is of interest for a panoply of reasons. Here we examined vaccine-specific CD4⁺ T cell, CD8⁺ T cell, binding antibody, and neutralizing antibody responses to the 25 μg Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine over 7 months post-immunization, including multiple age groups, with a particular interest in assessing whether pre-existing crossreactive T cell memory impacts vaccine-generated immunity. Low dose (25 μg) mRNA-1273 elicited durable Spike binding antibodies comparable to that of convalescent COVID-19 cases. Vaccine-generated Spike memory CD4⁺ T cells 6 months post-boost were comparable in quantity and quality to COVID-19 cases, including the presence of T_FH cells and IFNγ-expressing cells. Spike CD8⁺ T cells were generated in 88% of subjects, with equivalent percentages of CD8⁺ T cell memory responders at 6 months post-boost compared to COVID-19 cases. Lastly, subjects with pre-existing crossreactive CD4⁺ T cell memory had increased CD4⁺ T cell and antibody responses to the vaccine, demonstrating a biological relevance of SARS-CoV-2 crossreactive CD4⁺ T cells.One-Sentence Summary: The mRNA-1273 vaccine induces a durable and functional T cell and antibody response comparable to natural infection.