Getting to the (germinal) center of humoral immune responses to SARS-CoV-2

Long-term protection against SARS-CoV-2 requires effective and durable immunity. In this issue of Cell, two papers closely examine germinal centers, the physiological birthplace of adaptive immunity, to quantify the specificity, breadth, magnitude, and persistence of systemic and local humoral immune responses following natural infection with, or vaccination against, SARS-CoV-2. Long-term protection against SARS-CoV-2 requires effective and durable immunity. In this issue of Cell, two papers closely examine germinal centers, the physiological birthplace of adaptive immunity, to quantify the specificity, breadth, magnitude, and persistence of systemic and local humoral immune responses following natural infection with, or vaccination against, SARS-CoV-2.