Comprehensive antibody profiling of mRNA vaccination in children (preprint)

ABSTRACT

With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, fluctuating mask mandates, and school re-openings, increased infections and disease surged among children recently. Thus, there is an urgent need for COVID-19 vaccines for children of all ages. However, whether young children will respond appropriately to mRNA vaccines remains unclear. Here, we deeply profiled the vaccine-induced humoral immune response in 7-11 year old children receiving the mRNA-1273 vaccine. Vaccinated children induced significantly higher antibody titers and functions compared to naturally infected children. Moreover, we observed comparable SARS-CoV-2 titers and neutralizing activity across variants of concern and superior Fc{gamma}-receptor binding and phagocytic antibodies in children compared to vaccinated adults. Our data indicate that mRNA vaccination elicits robust antibody responses and drives superior antibody functionality in children. One-Sentence SummarymRNA vaccination elicits robust humoral immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in children 7-11 years of age.