Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42148138›Full record

Trial reportFrontiers in immunology2026

Safety, immunogenicity, and long COVID outcomes following inactivated COVID-19 vaccine boosters in elderly Chinese: a prospective cohort study.

Rongrong Dai, Qianhui Hua, Xinyu Liu, Lanxin Ma, Ruijing Bao, Huijun Lei, Pengfei Yu, Yuting Liao, Juan Yang, Su Han and 2 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Frontiers in immunology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Rongrong Dai *Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
Qianhui Hua *Department of Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
Xinyu Liu *School of Public Health, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China.
Lanxin MaSchool of Life Sci & Agr Forestry, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar, China.
Ruijing BaoSchool of Life Sci & Agr Forestry, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar, China.
Huijun LeiLongyou District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Quzhou, China.
Pengfei YuDepartment of Immunization Program, Jiaxing City Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jiaxing, China.
Yuting LiaoDepartment of Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
Juan YangDepartment of Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
Su HanDepartment of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
Jianmin JiangDepartment of Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
Hangjie ZhangDepartment of Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Adults aged ≥60 years face elevated risks of severe COVID-19 and long COVID. Although inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are safe and effective, critical gaps remain regarding optimal booster timing, durability of immune responses, and protection against emerging variants in this vulnerable population. Methods: In this prospective cohort study in Zhejiang Province, China, 450 adults aged ≥60 years were randomized to receive an inactivated SARS-Cov-2 vaccine (CoronaVac or Covilo) under three dosing schedules. Neutralizing antibody titers, SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG, and variant-specific neutralization were evaluated using serum samples collected at multiple timepoints. Safety outcomes included local and systemic adverse reactions and long COVID symptoms. Results: Participants (age: 60-80 years; 50.9% male) with balanced baseline demographics were stratified into six subgroups by vaccine type and schedule (S1/S2/S3; n=75 each; all P>0.05). Adverse reaction incidence was low (0.0%-8.0%), with CoronaVac-S3 recipients experiencing significantly more local reactions than Covilo-S3 recipients (8.0% vs. 0.0%; P = 0.0124). Immunogenicity varied markedly at 1 month post vaccination, with the highest geometric mean titers (GMTs) of neutralizing antibodies in both S3 groups (Covilo: 57.2; CoronaVac: 59.4; P<0.001 vs. respective S1/S2 groups), and CoronaVac-S1 inducing higher GMTs than Covilo-S1 (21.8 vs. 15.4; P = 0.009). At 12 months post vaccination, GMTs remained highest in Covilo-S3 (9.9), while CoronaVac-S2 exceeded Covilo-S2 (8.0 vs. 5.1; P = 0.021). Covilo-S2 and -S3 were superior to their CoronaVac counterparts in inhibition against the wild-type strain and Delta variant at 1 month post vaccination (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis identified male sex as a protective factor against COVID-19 symptoms, long COVID, and fatigue (odds ratios <0.5 and P<0.05 for all). Conclusions: A third booster of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine administered within 2-6 months of the second dose is safe and significantly boosts humoral immunity in adults ≥60 years. The three-dose Covilo regimen and a 6-month dosing interval optimized immunogenicity and were associated with the lowest risks of COVID-19 symptoms and long COVID, highlighting the importance of vaccine-specific and interval-adjusted booster strategies for older populations.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesImmunization, SecondaryImmunogenicity, VaccineAgedAged, 80 and overAntibodies, NeutralizingAntibodies, ViralChinaEast Asian PeopleFemaleHumansImmunoglobulin GMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesAntibodies, NeutralizingAntibodies, ViralCOVID-19 VaccinesImmunoglobulin GSARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccinesVaccines, Inactivatedbreakthrough infectiondynamic changeshumoral immune responseinactivated COVID-19 vaccineSARS-CoV-2vaccine

Identifiers

PMID42148138
PMCPMC13171794

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.