For Immediate Release
Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023
Contact:
C. Yvonne Hylton yvonne.hylton@nih.gov
COVID-19 vaccinated patients with breakthrough infections exhibit better immune responses than unvaccinated patients
What
COVID-19 vaccinations may help limit the progression of inflammatory responses associated with SARS-CoV-2 severity according to a study conducted at the NIH Clinical Center. Researchers evaluated patients who were vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2 but had breakthrough infections and compared them to those who had not received a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.
The findings of the study showed that patients with breakthrough infections exhibited beneficial cellular immune responses that limit the progression of inflammation and as a result may explain the mechanisms by which the vaccines limit the severity of the symptoms. This study is important because the data on the cellular immune responses in persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection following vaccination has been limited. The data may also help in developing more effective COVID-19 vaccines and therapies in the future.
This study, published in Journal of Infectious Diseases, was funded by the National Institutes of Health’s Intramural Targeted Anti-COVID-19 (ITAC) Program that supported the COVID-ARC-19 Study Group.
Who
Anthony F. Suffredini, MD., Deputy Chief, Critical Care Medicine Department, Medical Director, Critical Care Therapy and Respiratory Care Section; and Julio Huapaya, MD., National Institute of Health Clinical Center are available to discuss the study findings. To arrange an interview, please contact CCPressGroup@cc.nih.gov.
Article
Suffredini MD, et al. Vaccination Ameliorates Cellular Inflammatory Responses in SARS-CoV-2 Breakthrough Infections. Journal of Infectious Diseases. Feb 18, 2023. DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad045
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About the NIH Clinical Center: The NIH Clinical Center is the world’s largest hospital entirely devoted to clinical research. It is a national resource that makes it possible to rapidly translate scientific observations and laboratory discoveries into new approaches for diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease. Over 1,600 clinical research studies are conducted at the NIH Clinical Center, including those focused on cancer, infectious diseases, blood disorders, heart disease, lung disease, alcoholism and drug abuse. For more information about the Clinical Center, visit: https://www.cc.nih.gov/.
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