Groundbreaking UL study reveals impact of loneliness and stress on Covid vaccine response

The study found that lower social cohesion was predictive of a lower response to a single-shot of the Covid vaccine.

The authors found that lower social cohesion was predictive of a lower response to a single-shot of the Covid vaccine. Picture: Larry Cummins

A groundbreaking new study from the University of Limerick (UL) has revealed that loneliness and social stress can negatively impact our antibody response to Covid-19 vaccines.

Social cohesion is the degree of social connectedness and solidarity among different groups in society and where this was lacking, it was found to be an additional factor in reducing Covid-19 vaccine responses.

Professor Stephen Gallagher, lead author and director of the study of anxiety stress and health lab at UL, said that it has been known for some time that psychosocial stressors can have a damaging effect on immunity.

There is also evidence that it can impact antibody responses following vaccination and so the team felt it made sense to explore this in relation to the Covid-19 jabs.

Participants who felt less connected to their neighbourhood, felt unsupported and had lower trust in their neighbours, made fewer antibodies than those who reported higher levels of social cohesion.

The authors found that lower social cohesion was predictive of a lower response to a single-shot of the Covid vaccine.

Participants who felt less connected to their neighbourhood, felt unsupported and had lower trust in their neighbours, made fewer antibodies than those who reported higher levels of social cohesion.

This is key as the more antibodies a person makes, the greater the level of protection against hospitalisation and death from Covid-19.

"Public and neighbourhood trust, social cohesion, and loneliness have all come to the fore during the pandemic," explained Professor Orla Muldoon, a co-author who had been a member of Nphet.

In the first weeks and months of the pandemic, there was a sense that 'we are all in this together' - a mantra that was used frequently during lockdowns in an attempt to foster feelings of social cohesion.

The sense of community and togetherness was evident early in the pandemic when we saw Dubliners playing bingo in the flats, Britain's 'clap for carers' and Italians singing from balconies, said Prof Muldoon.

"These feelings of social cohesion and trust were short-lived; something British researchers now call the ‘Dominic Cummings effect’. Similar diminishing levels of trust were also seen in the US during these periods.

"Along with this, lockdowns brought social risks such as less social interaction and an increased risk of loneliness.

"As well as the findings of this study showing their role in antibody responses, trust and cohesion have also been shown to drive compliance with public health guidelines and vaccine uptake," added Professor Muldoon.

The study, which has been published in the prestigious journal Brain, Behaviour and Immunity, highlights the importance of public trust and social cohesion to the success of our pandemic response.

Researchers examined data from over 600 people who took part in Britain's Understanding Society Covid-19 antibody study which was carried out in March 2021.