Lupus patients less protected by COVID-19 vaccine

Nearly 30% of patients with lupus had an inadequate response to the new COVID-19 vaccines as measured by ELISA for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain. Lower vaccine response was associated with the use of prednisone, immunosuppressants, or mycophenolate mofetil, whereas patients taking anti-malarials showed an almost 12-times improved response. Overall disease activity did not change after vaccination. Phase 3 clinical trials of all 3 COVID-19 vaccines excluded patients on immunosuppressants or immune-modifying drugs within 6 months of enrolment, so there is little data on the immunogenicity of SLE patients. “Many of us in the rheumatology community have been working on addressing the question of whether certain immunosuppressive medications affect the response to the new COVID-19 vaccines,” said Dr Peter Izmirly (New York University Grossman School of Medicine, NY, USA). This is particularly important because some people with lupus have been...

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Posted on 14 January, 2022