This study compared the immunogenicity of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines between people living with HIV (PLWH) and HIV-negative individuals. We recruited 120 PLWH and 53 HIV-negative individuals aged 18–59 years who had received an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in two Chinese cities between April and June 2021. Blood samples were tested for immunogenicity of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. The prevalence and severity of adverse events associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were similar between PLWH and HIV-negative individuals. The seropositivity of neutralizing activity against authentic SARS-CoV-2, of the total amount of antibody (total antibody) and of S-IgG were 71.3%, 81.9%, and 92.6%, respectively, among fully vaccinated PLWH. Among all participants, PLWH had lower neutralizing activity, total antibody, S-IgG, and T-cell-specific immune response levels, compared to HIV-negative individuals, after controlling for types of vaccine, time interval between first and second dose, time after receiving the second dose, and sociodemographic factors. PLWH with a longer interval since HIV diagnosis, who received their second dose 15–28 days prior to study commencement, and who had an interval of ≥21 days between first and second dose had higher neutralizing activity levels. The immunogenicity of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines was lower among PLWH as compared to HIV-negative individuals. Vaccination guideline specific for PLWH should be developed.

Objectives: The prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 among blood donors in China remains unknown. To reveal the missing information, we investigated the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among blood donors in the cities of Wuhan, Shenzhen, and Shijiazhuang of China. Design: Cross-sectional study Setting: Three blood centers, located in the central, south and north China, respectively, recruiting from January to April 2020. Participants: 38,144 healthy blood donors donated in Wuhan, Shenzhen and Shijiazhuang were enrolled, who were all met the criteria for blood donation during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Main outcome measures: Specific antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 including total antibody (TAb), IgG antibody against receptor-binding domain of spike protein (IgG-RBD) and nucleoprotein (IgG-N), and IgM. Pseudotype lentivirus-based neutralization test was performed on all TAb-positive samples. In addition, anonymous personal demographic information, including gender, age, ethnicity, occupation and educational level, and blood type were collected. Results: A total of 519 samples from 410 donors were confirmed by neutralization tests. The SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among blood donors was 2.29% (407/17,794, 95%CI: 2.08% to 2.52%) in Wuhan, 0.029% (2/6,810, 95%CI: 0.0081% to 0.11%) in Shenzhen, and 0.0074% (1/13,540, 95%CI: 0.0013% to 0.042%) in Shijiazhuang, respectively. The earliest emergence of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in blood donors was identified on January 20, 2020 in Wuhan. The weekly prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Wuhan’s blood donors changed dynamically and were 0.08% (95%CI: 0.02% to 0.28%) during January 15 to 22 (before city lockdown), 3.08% (95%CI: 2.67% to 3.55%) during January 23 to April 7 (city quarantine period) and 2.33% (95%CI: 2.06% to 2.63%) during April 8 to 30 (after lockdown easing). Female and older-age were identified to be independent risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among donors in Wuhan. Conclusions: The prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 among blood donors in China was low, even in Wuhan city. According to our data, the earliest emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan’s donors should not earlier than January, 2020. As most of the population of China remained uninfected during the early wave of COVID-19 pandemic, effective public health measures are still certainly required to block viral spread before a vaccine is widely available.

Background: People living with HIV (PLWH) are more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2. However, evidence on the immunogenicity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in this population is insufficient. The objective of this study is to assess the immunogenicity and safety of the two-dose schedule of Sinovac CoronaVac for 6 months postvaccination in PLWH.Methods: We conducted a multicenter prospective cohort study among PLWH and HIV-negative adults in China. Participants who received two doses of CoronaVac prior to the recruitment were allocated into two groups and followed up for 6 months. The neutralizing antibodies (nAbs), immunoglobulin G against the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein (S-IgG), and gamma-interferon (IFN-γ) were measured to assess the associations among CoronaVac immunogenicity and related factors. Adverse reactions were collected to evaluate the safety profile of vaccination.Results: A total of 203 PLWH and 100 HIV-negative individuals were enrolled. A small portion of participants reported mild or moderate adverse reactions without serious adverse events. Median nAbs level in PLWH (31.96 IU/mL, IQR: 12.34-76.40) was lower than that in the control group (46.52 IU/mL, IQR: 29.08-77.30) at the 2-4 weeks postvaccination (P=0.002), and the same trend was presented for median S-IgG titer (37.09 vs. 60.02 IU/ml) (both P &lt;0.05). The nAbs seroconversion rate in the PLWH group was also lower than in the control group (75.86% vs. 89.00%). After then, the immune responses reduced over time in term of only 23.04% of PLWH and 36.00% of HIV-negative individuals had a positive seroconversion for nAbs at 6-month. The multivariable generalized estimating equation analysis showed that PLWH with CD4+T count≥350 cells/µL presented higher immune response than PLWH with CD4+T count <350 cells/µL in terms of antibody seroconversion and titers. The immunogenicity did not differ in participants with low or high HIV viral load. The S-antigen specific IFN-γ immunity was generally stable and had a slow attenuation in both two groups for 6 months postvaccination.Conclusion: The Sinovac CoronaVac was generally safe and immunogenic in PLWH, but the immunity response was inferior and the antibodies vanished faster compared to HIV-negative individuals. This study suggested a shorter than 6-month interval of prime-boost vaccination for PLWH to ensure a better protection.

The 2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has affected hundreds of millions globally, resulting in millions of deaths. People living with HIV (PLWH) typically exhibit significantly lower antibody titers after vaccination compared to healthy individuals, and are particularly vulnerable to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) due to their compromised immune system. Given the continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, monitoring immune responses in this high-risk population is crucial. This study aims to investigate SARS-CoV-2 antibody dynamics in PLWH during the Omicron BA.5 and XBB.1.5 waves in China, with a focus of vaccination and antibody detection kits. In December 2022, we recruited 147 PLWH who were initially infected with the Omicron variant during the BA.5 wave. They were unvaccinated, fully vaccinated, or received a dose of booster immunization. A four-month follow-up was conducted during the XBB.1.5 wave. At both time points, information related to basic demographic, HIV, and COVID-19 were collected. Peripheral blood samples were obtained to measure SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels and HIV viral loads. SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels were measured using eight serological kits against wild-type S strain, and two kits against BA.4/5 and XBB.1.5 strains, respectively. Booster vaccination was associated with the highest antibody levels after breakthrough infection, followed by full vaccination, and unvaccination. The differences in antibody levels between three groups diminished by the second follow-up in the reinfected PLWH. Those with HIV viral load higher than 30 IU/mL exhibited reduced antibody responses. Spearman correlation analysis showed that in the vaccinated individuals with Omicron reinfection, the kits against wild-type strain showed poorer correlation with BA.4/5 and XBB.1.5 kits than unvaccinated individuals, confirming antibody repertoire alterations after repeated exposure. Our findings show the importance of vaccination in enhancing SARS-CoV-2 immunity among PLWH, with the diminishing differences in antibody levels in repeated Omicron reinfections. The results emphasize the need for continuous monitoring using variant-specific serological kits and adaptation of vaccination strategies.