Several reports show that women are experiencing stronger side effects with the vaccine than men and this is not unique to COVID-19.
“This has been observed several times,” said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco. “Serological responses in women to hepatitis B vaccine, hepatitis A vaccine and measles vaccines are more prominent in women than in men. So, that was totally seen. “
Dr. Gandhi says that because women have a stronger immune response to vaccines, it also means that they are more likely to eliminate viral infections through their own immune systems. This may help explain why we have seen more serious cases of COVID-19 in men.
Dr. Gandhi says that part of this is due to the different hormones that men and women produce. Estrogen and progesterone, for example, stimulate cell-mediated immunity. This is the response of the body itself that does not use antibodies.
“I think hepatitis C is the classic example,” said Dr. Gandhi. “Many people are exposed to hepatitis C, but our immune system determines the eventual course of hepatitis C, because we can eliminate it, or we cannot eliminate it, and this can continue to become chronic and women are much more likely to cure hepatitis C infection. ”
Dr. Gandhi says it would be useful for vaccine testing data to be broken down by gender. She adds that this would be valuable information for COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers in the future.
Research published in JAMA and the Lancet Medical Journal also talks about how people who have recovered from COVID-19 are generating more antibodies with just one dose of the vaccine than someone who has never taken COVID-19. This is independent of gender.
But until we know more, Dr. Gandhi says that everyone should follow the two recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.