Kinetics and biological characteristics of humoral response developing after SARS-CoV-2 infection: Implications for vaccination

ABSTRACT

With the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak spreading all around the world, an extensive vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is now universally regarded as one of the most effective strategies for counteracting the unremittent spread of this novel coronavirus. Nonetheless, the reasonable need to identify segments of the population in which vaccination shall be prioritized for avoiding a possible shortage of vaccines seems to collide with indications provided by many national and international healthcare organizations, that endorse widespread vaccination irrespective of a positive history of prior symptomatic or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. To this end, this document provides an ad interim guidance aimed at prioritizing SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in people who are more likely to be infected, re-infected and/or to develop more aggressive COVID-19 illness, essentially based on routine assessment and monitoring of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune response.