A bibliometric analysis of the impact of COVID-19 vaccines on the immune system (2020-2024)

Saulesh S.  Kurmangaliyeva; Akzhan M. Madenbayeva; Saltanat T.  Urazayeva; Kairat B.  Kurmangaliyev; Yerlan Sh.  Bazargaliyev; Khatimya I.  Kudabayeva; Kristina V.  Baktikulova

doi:10.23750/abm.vi.17035

Authors

Saulesh S. Kurmangaliyeva Department of Microbiology, Virology and Immunology, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe, Kazakhstan
Akzhan M. Madenbayeva Department of Internal Diseases No 1, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe, Kazakhstan
Saltanat T. Urazayeva Department of Epidemiology, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe, Kazakhstan
Kairat B. Kurmangaliyev Department of Microbiology, Virology and Immunology, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe, Kazakhstan
Yerlan Sh. Bazargaliyev Department of Internal Diseases No 1, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe, Kazakhstan
Khatimya I. Kudabayeva Department of Internal Diseases No 1, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe, Kazakhstan
Kristina V. Baktikulova Department of Microbiology, Virology and Immunology, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe, Kazakhstan

Keywords:

COVID-19 vaccines, immune system, bibliometric analysis, vaccine-induced immunity, global research trends, vaccination strategies.

Abstract

Background and aim: The rapid development and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines have been pivotal in mitigating the global pandemic, yet the long-term impact of these vaccines on the immune system remains an area of ongoing investigation.

Methods: This bibliometric analysis aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of global research trends and key findings related to the effects of COVID-19 vaccines on immune function, drawing on data from the Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection (WOS-CC) databases. Data merging, statistical analyses, and visualizations were conducted using RStudio and the Bibliometrix R package.

Results: We analyzed 377 research and review articles published between 2020 and 2024, identifying trends in publication volume, citation metrics, and keyword frequency. Our findings highlight the complexity of vaccine-induced immunity, including the durability of immune responses, interactions with other vaccines, and potential alterations in immune surveillance. The analysis also underscores the importance of collaborative research efforts, with significant contributions from leading institutions and countries.

Conclusions: This study offers valuable insights into the evolving landscape of COVID-19 vaccine research, emphasizing the need for continued investigation to optimize vaccination strategies and address emerging public health challenges.

References

1. Marcassoli A, Leonardi M, Passavanti M, De Angelis V, Bentivegna E, Martelletti P, et al. Lessons Learned from the Lessons Learned in Public Health during the First Years of COVID-19 Pandemic. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(3):1785. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031785

2. Inchingolo AD, Malcangi G, Ceci S, Patano A, Corriero A, Vimercati L, et al. Effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines for Short- and Long-Term Immunity: A General Overview for the Pandemic Contrast. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(15):8485. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23158485

3. Pennisi F, Genovese C, Gianfredi V. Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Promoting Vaccination and Public Health Resilience, a Narrative Review. Vaccines. 2024;12(8):891. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12080891

4. Mahil SK, Bechman K, Raharja A, Domingo-Vila C, Baudry D, Brown MA, et al. The effect of methotrexate and targeted immunosuppression on humoral and cellular immune responses to the COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2: a cohort study. Lancet Rheumatol. 2021;3(9):e627-e37. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2665-9913(21)00212-5

5. Huang L, Lai FTT, Yan VKC, Cheng FWT, Cheung CL, Chui CSL, et al. Comparing hybrid and regular COVID-19 vaccine-induced immunity against the Omicron epidemic. NPJ Vaccines. 2022;7(1):162. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-022-00594-7

6. Kow CS, Hasan SS. Potential interactions between COVID-19 vaccines and antiepileptic drugs. Seizure-European Journal of Epilepsy. 2021;86:80-1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seizure.2021.01.021

7. Mohammed I, Nauman A, Paul P, Ganesan S, Chen KH, Jalil SMS, et al. The efficacy and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines in reducing infection, severity, hospitalization, and mortality: a systematic review. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2022;18(1):2027160. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2022.2027160

8. Boccellino M. COVID-19 Pandemic: Therapeutic Strategies and Vaccines. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;25(1):556. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010556

9. Arunachalam PS, Lai L, Samaha H, Feng Y, Hu M, Hui HS, et al. Durability of immune responses to mRNA booster vaccination against COVID-19. J Clin Invest. 2023;133(10):e167955. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI167955

10. Badary OA. Implications of potential clinically relevant interactions between COVID-19 vaccines and concomitant medications. Rev Med Virol. 2023;33(3):e2417. https://doi.org/10.1002/rmv.2417

11. Pallás RM. Innate and adaptative immune mechanisms of COVID-19 vaccines. Serious adverse events associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: A systematic review. Vacunas. 2024;25(2):285. e1-. e94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vacune.2024.05.002

12. Khandker SS, Godman B, Jawad MI, Meghla BA, Tisha TA, Khondoker MU, et al. A Systematic Review on COVID-19 Vaccine Strategies, Their Effectiveness, and Issues. Vaccines. 2021;9(12):1387. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9121387

13. Khalid K, Poh CL. The Promising Potential of Reverse Vaccinology-Based Next-Generation Vaccine Development over Conventional Vaccines against Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria. Vaccines. 2023;11(7):1264. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11071264

14. Haghighat S, Montazeri AS, Zare A, Aghdam NF. Ethical Challenges for Patients and Healthcare Providers with the Approach to COVID-19 Context: A Review. West Kazakhstan Medical Journal. 2024;66(1):16–29. https://doi.org/10.18502/wkmj.v66i1.15600

15. Zabidi NZ, Liew HL, Farouk IA, Puniyamurti A, Yip AJW, Wijesinghe VN, et al. Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Variants: Implications on Immune Escape, Vaccination, Therapeutic and Diagnostic Strategies. Viruses. 2023;15(4):944. https://doi.org/10.3390/v15040944

16. Baspakova A, Bazargaliyev YS, Kaliyev AA, Mussin NM, Karimsakova B, Akhmetova SZ, et al. Bibliometric analysis of the impact of ultra‐processed foods on the gut microbiota. International Journal of Food Science & Technology. 2024;59(3):1456-65. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.16894

17. Wu Y, Wang F, Shen C, Peng W, Li D, Zhao C, et al. A noncompeting pair of human neutralizing antibodies block COVID-19 virus binding to its receptor ACE2. Science. 2020;368(6496):1274-8. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abc2241

18. Carreno JM, Alshammary H, Tcheou J, Singh G, Raskin AJ, Kawabata H, et al. Activity of convalescent and vaccine serum against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron. Nature. 2022;602(7898):682-8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04399-5

19. Poh CM, Carissimo G, Wang B, Amrun SN, Lee CY-P, Chee RS-L, et al. Two linear epitopes on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that elicit neutralising antibodies in COVID-19 patients. Nature communications. 2020;11(1):2806. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16638-2

20. Vanderheiden A, Ralfs P, Chirkova T, Upadhyay AA, Zimmerman MG, Bedoya S, et al. Type I and Type III Interferons Restrict SARS-CoV-2 Infection of Human Airway Epithelial Cultures. J Virol. 2020;94(19):10.1128/jvi. 00985-20. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.00985-20

21. Beharier O, Mayo RP, Raz T, Sacks KN, Schreiber L, Suissa-Cohen Y, et al. Efficient maternal to neonatal transfer of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. The Journal of clinical investigation. 2021;131(13):e150319. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI150319

22. Toyoshima Y, Nemoto K, Matsumoto S, Nakamura Y, Kiyotani K. SARS-CoV-2 genomic variations associated with mortality rate of COVID-19. J Hum Genet. 2020;65(12):1075-82. https://doi.org/10.1038/s10038-020-0808-9

23. Poduri R, Joshi G, Jagadeesh G. Drugs targeting various stages of the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle: Exploring promising drugs for the treatment of Covid-19. Cellular signalling. 2020;74:109721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cellsig.2020.109721

24. Spencer AJ, McKay PF, Belij-Rammerstorfer S, Ulaszewska M, Bissett CD, Hu K, et al. Heterologous vaccination regimens with self-amplifying RNA and adenoviral COVID vaccines induce robust immune responses in mice. Nat Commun. 2021;12(1):2893. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23173-1

25. Lyons-Weiler J. Pathogenic priming likely contributes to serious and critical illness and mortality in COVID-19 via autoimmunity. J Transl Autoimmun. 2020;3:100051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtauto.2020.100051

26. Lederer K, Bettini E, Parvathaneni K, Painter MM, Agarwal D, Lundgreen KA, et al. Germinal center responses to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in healthy and immunocompromised individuals. Cell. 2022;185(6):1008-24 e15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.01.027

27. Khaddage-Soboh N, Tawil S. Navigating the crisis: A review of COVID-19 research and the importance of academic publications - The case of a private university in Lebanon. Heliyon. 2023;9(12):e22917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22917

28. Borocz K, Kinyo A, Simon D, Erdo-Bonyar S, Nemeth P, Berki T. Complexity of the Immune Response Elicited by Different COVID-19 Vaccines, in the Light of Natural Autoantibodies and Immunomodulatory Therapies. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(7):6439. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24076439

29. Abufares HI, Oyoun Alsoud L, Alqudah MAY, Shara M, Soares NC, Alzoubi KH, et al. COVID-19 Vaccines, Effectiveness, and Immune Responses. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(23):15415. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232315415

30. Okoeguale J, Okobi OE, Ojukwu EC, Nwachukwu OB, Okoroafor CC. Maternal Seroprevalence and Placental Transfer of COVID-19 Antibodies in Pregnancy: A Hospital-Based Study. Cureus. 2023;15(11):e49730. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.49730

31. Trougakos IP, Terpos E, Alexopoulos H, Politou M, Paraskevis D, Scorilas A, et al. Adverse effects of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines: the spike hypothesis. Trends Mol Med. 2022;28(7):542-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2022.04.007

32. Elliott T, Cheeseman HM, Evans AB, Day S, McFarlane LR, O'Hara J, et al. Enhanced immune responses following heterologous vaccination with self-amplifying RNA and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. PLoS Pathog. 2022;18(10):e1010885. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1010885

33. Jit M, Ananthakrishnan A, McKee M, Wouters OJ, Beutels P, Teerawattananon Y. Multi-country collaboration in responding to global infectious disease threats: lessons for Europe from the COVID-19 pandemic. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2021;9:100221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100221

34. Mohamed K, Rzymski P, Islam MS, Makuku R, Mushtaq A, Khan A, et al. COVID-19 vaccinations: The unknowns, challenges, and hopes. J Med Virol. 2022;94(4):1336-49. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.27487

35. El-Menyar A, Khan NA, Mekkodathil A, Rizoli S, Consunji R, Elmenyar E, et al. A quick scoping review of the first year of vaccination against the COVID-19 pandemic: Do we need more shots or time? Medicine. 2022;101(37):e30609. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000030609

36. Ao D, He X, Liu J, Xu L. Strategies for the development and approval of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics in the post-pandemic period. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2023;8(1):466. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-023-01724-w