Consistent with the observations for anti-inflammatory cytokines, proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-12 p70 also exhibited a downward trend in unvaccinated patients with COVID-19, when compared with their vaccinated counterparts (IL-2: 9.05 [7.20–16.30] pg/mL vs. 9.30 [7.00–27.10] pg/mL, P = 0.457; TNF-α: 2.10 [1.00–4.40] pg/mL vs. 2.30 [1.60–7.50] pg/mL, P = 0.334; IL-12 p70: 0.80 [0.50–1.60] pg/mL vs. 1.25 [0.55–1.80] pg/mL, P = 0.078). Here, TNF is linked to COVID-19.