Scientists reveal key differences in immune response to inactivated virus and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines

Although the total magnitude of the T-cell responses induced by mRNA and inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are comparable, the similarity ends there. This is according to a new study led by scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School. They discovered that the inactivated vaccines, which expose the immune system to the entire non-viable virus, elicit a broad immune response against different proteins on the virus. The findings, which were recently published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, add to the growing literature that will help researchers improve vaccine strategies for an ever-changing virus. “Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were used extensively in Asia, but are often considered inferior due to their induction of a lower antibody response compared to other types of vaccines,” said Dr. Anthony Tanoto Tan, senior co-author of the study. “This means that they might not have been as good at preventing infection, but several studies have shown that they are highly capable...