Observational studyEBioMedicine2023
Differences in SARS-CoV-2 specific humoral and cellular immune responses after contralateral and ipsilateral COVID-19 vaccination.
Observational study in EBioMedicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed.
- T cell immunomonitoring: a comparative analysis of traditional and novel methods to quantify and characterize human antigen-specific T cells.Nature protocols · 2026Review
- Immune Responses to Live-Attenuated Prime-Boost Vaccination Are Independent of Injection Site in Calves.Microbiology and immunology · 2026Article
- Intranasal boosting induces variant-specific responses in SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-imprinted mice.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Risk factors for adverse events following rabies vaccination: a multivariate analysis of real-world data.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Establishing long-lasting vaccine immunity: insights from mRNA and adjuvanted protein platforms.NPJ vaccines · 2025Review
- A Review of the Effects of Ipsilateral or Contralateral Vaccine Boosting on the Adaptive Immune Response.Vaccines · 2025Review
- Clonal expansion and diversification of germinal center and memory B cell responses to booster immunization in primates.Cell reports · 2025Article
- Clonal Expansion and Diversification of Germinal Center and Memory B Cell Responses to Booster Immunization in Primates.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Impact of Extended Dosing Intervals and Ipsilateral Versus Contralateral Boosting on mRNA Vaccine Immunogenicity in Mice.Vaccines · 2025Article
- Insights into pathologic mechanisms occurring during serious adverse events following live zoster vaccination.Journal of virology · 2025Review
- Viral Infection and Dissemination Through the Lymphatic System.Microorganisms · 2025Review
- Ipsilateral or contralateral boosting of mice with mRNA vaccines confers equivalent immunity and protection against a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain.Journal of virology · 2024Article
- Ipsilateral and contralateral coadministration of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines produce similar antibody responses.EBioMedicine · 2024Article
- Carrier-free mRNA vaccine induces robust immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in mice and non-human primates without systemic reactogenicity.Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy · 2024Article
- Contralateral versus ipsilateral vaccine boosting for COVID-19: considering the broader scientific landscape.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2024Article
- Ipsilateral immunization after a prior SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination elicits superior B cell responses compared to contralateral immunization.Cell reports · 2024Article
- Contralateral second dose improves antibody responses to a 2-dose mRNA vaccination regimen.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIndividual doses of dual-dose vaccine-regimens are sequentially administered into the deltoid muscle, but little attention has so far been paid to the immunological effects of choosing the ipsilateral or the contralateral side for the second dose.
methodsIn an observational study, 303 previously naive individuals were recruited, who received the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2 on either the ipsilateral (n = 147) or the contralateral side (n = 156). Spike-specific IgG, IgG-avidity, and neutralizing antibodies were quantified using ELISA and a surrogate assay 2 weeks after dose 2. A subgroup of 143 individuals (64 ipsilateral, 79 contralateral) was analysed for spike-specific CD4 and CD8 T-cells using flow-cytometry.
findingsMedian spike-specific IgG-levels did not differ after ipsilateral (4590 (IQR 3438) BAU/ml) or contralateral vaccination (4002 (IQR 3524) BAU/ml, p = 0.106). IgG-avidity was also similar (p = 0.056). However, neutralizing activity was significantly lower after contralateral vaccination (p = 0.024). Likewise, median spike-specific CD8 T-cell levels were significantly lower (p = 0.004). Consequently, the percentage of individuals with detectable CD8 T-cells was significantly lower after contralateral than after ipsilateral vaccination (43.0% versus 67.2%, p = 0.004). Spike specific CD4 T-cell levels were similar in both groups, but showed significantly higher CTLA-4 expression after contralateral vaccination (p = 0.011). These effects were vaccine-specific, as polyclonally stimulated T-cell levels did not differ.
interpretationBoth ipsilateral and contralateral vaccination induce a strong immune response, but secondary boosting is more pronounced when choosing vaccine administration-routes that allows for drainage by the same lymph nodes used for priming. Higher neutralizing antibody activity and higher levels of spike-specific CD8 T-cells may have implications for protection from infection and severe disease and support general preference for ipsilateral vaccination.
fundingFinancial support was provided in part by the State chancellery of the Saarland to M.S.
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