Quantitation of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein after two doses of CoronaVac in health care workers.

Quantitation of antibodies to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 was performed for the detection of adaptive immune response in health care workers (HCWs) vaccinated with CorovaVac. We prospectively recruited HCWs from a university hospital in Turkey. Serum samples from 1072 HCWs were obtained following 28 days of the first, and 21 days of the second dose. Detection and quantitation of SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike antibodies was performed by the chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) (SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant, Abbott, Ireland). Results greater than or equal to the cutoff value 50.0 AU/mL were reported as positive. After the first dose, anti-spike antibodies were detected in 834 of 1072 (77.8%) HCWs. Seropositivity was higher among females (84.6%) than males (70.6%) (p<0.001) and was found to be highest in both women and men between the ages of 18-34. After the second dose, antibodies were detected in 1008 of 1012 (99.6%) HCWs. Antibody titers were significantly higher in those who had COVID-19 before vaccination than those who did not (p<0.001). Antibody positivity and median antibody titers were significantly less in HCWs with chronic diseases compared to those without (p<0.005 and p<0.001, respectively). In conclusion, our findings indicated that a relatively high frequency (99.6%) of humoral immunity was produced in HCWs aged 18-59 after two doses of CoronaVac. Quantitation of antibodies may help facilitate longitudinal monitoring of the antibody response which will be especially useful in deciding the dose of the vaccine in vulnerable groups such as those over 60 years of age and those with chronic diseases. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.