Scientists from Rutgers found that COVID-19 vaccines taken by people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which affects millions worldwide, safely and effectively protect them from the SARS-Cov-2 virus.
The research is published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics and was conducted by Abhishek Bhurwal et al.
An estimated 3.1 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with IBD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The disease, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The number of such patients, Bhurwal said, is growing.
In the study, the team focused on all studies describing the response of patients with IBD who were administered a COVID-19 vaccine.
People with IBD are commonly treated with drugs that suppress the immune system and have reported concerns over whether such treatments might weaken their response to the vaccine.
The study focused on four key aspects of COVID-19 vaccination of IBD patients: the strength of their immune response to the vaccine; the occurrence of breakthrough infections after taking the vaccine; the occurrence of adverse events to the vaccine; and whether differing IBD treatments affected vaccine effectiveness.
The team found that vaccinated IBD patients showed high levels of antibody response, known as seroconversion, two weeks after the first vaccine, indicating a strong, positive response to the vaccine.
The response was even higher after two doses, as compared with one dose.
Vaccinated IBD patients did not experience a higher or lower rate of breakthrough infections than the control group in studies.
The team also found vaccinated IBD patients experienced a low rate of adverse events, and the most common events have also been seen in the general population: reactions at the injection site; headaches; backache; and joint pain.
Vaccinated IBD patients with different immunosuppressive treatments had a similar response to the vaccine.
Because of their treatment with immunosuppressive drugs, IBD patients are more susceptible to infectious diseases than the general population. As a result, they have been encouraged to receive COVID-19 vaccines.
The team says with this analysis, they can say that two doses of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are safe and effective in the IBD population. They need further studies regarding booster doses and COVID variants.
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