Vaccines are designed to induce a strong and long-lasting immune response through the creation of memory T cells and B cells. The Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine, given during early childhood, and Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis (Tdap) vaccine, given every 10 years, are known to elicit a protective response against the diseases from which the vaccines get their names. But these vaccines may have an unexpected bonus: It's possible that they also elicit cross-reactive memory T cells capable of responding to protein targets called antigens that are present in other microbes that cause diseases—including the viral antigens in SARS-CoV-2. The concept is that pre-existing memory T cells generated by prior MMR or Tdap vaccination and activated by SARS-CoV-2 infection give the immune system a head start in responding to SARS-CoV-2, thereby lowering the risk of severe COVID-19.
from Medical Xpress - latest medical and health news stories
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