  Motivated by precision computations of neutrino decoupling at MeV
temperatures, we show how QED corrections to the thermal neutrino interaction
rate can be related to the electron-positron spectral function as well as an
effective $\bar{\nu}\nu\gamma$ vertex. The spectral function is needed both in
a timelike and in a spacelike domain, and for both of its physical polarization
states (transverse and longitudinal with respect to spatial momentum).
Incorporating an NLO evaluation of this spectral function, an estimate of the
$\bar{\nu}\nu\gamma$ vertex, and HTL resummation of scatterings mediated by
soft Bose-enhanced $t$-channel photons, we compute the interaction rate as a
function of the neutrino momentum and flavour. Effects on the $ -(0...2)\%$
level are found, noticeably smaller than a previous estimate of a related
quantity.
