Many patients suffering from autoimmune diseases such as rheumatism, ulcerative colitis or psoriasis must take medication that affects their immune system.
As the immune system also determines the effectiveness of vaccinations, some of those suffering from autoimmune diseases wonder whether it is safe for them to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2.
They also wonder whether the vaccine will be just as effective and offer them protection for the same period of time as healthy people.
In a study from Deutsches Zentrum für Immuntherapie, scientists found that people with autoimmune diseases need a third COVID-19 vaccination.
In the study, the team examined a total of more than 3,700 patients and healthy participants who have received either two or three vaccines against coronavirus.
The results allay the fears of those suffering from autoimmune diseases.
Most of those who had the vaccination did not report any strong side effects, with no difference between the healthy participants and those suffering from autoimmune diseases.
In addition, the majority of patients created antibodies to protect them against coronavirus.
Another interesting and very important result is that generally speaking, people with autoimmune diseases generally have a weaker immune response after two vaccinations against coronavirus, and their vaccine protection generally wanes faster in comparison to the control group.
The team says age and certain treatments can lead to the immune response in patients with autoimmune diseases waning faster than in others.
Specifically, the study determined that older patients lose their immune protection after the coronavirus vaccine faster than younger patients.
Some medications that aim specifically at certain immune cells such as T and B cells seem to reduce the effectiveness of the short and long-term immune response.
It is therefore probable that this group, in particular, would benefit from a third vaccination soon after the second.
The study also showed that immune protection increased considerably in patients with autoimmune diseases who had a booster vaccination.
If you care about immune health, please read studies about nutrient essential for boosting immune system, and eating meat is linked to this dangerous autoimmune disease.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that green tea can boost your immune function, and results showing probiotics regulate our immune system and could help fight off COVID.
The study was conducted by Dr. David Simon et al and published in the journal The Lancet Rheumatology.
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