The Pfizer vaccine has been highly praised for its effectiveness against the coronavirus – and it may be the only vaccine that some people can receive, as it is currently the only vaccine available for 16 and 17 year olds in the United States. In addition, health officials have advised people to get the coronavirus vaccine as they could. However, there may be some limitations to the shot’s protective powers. According to a new study, the Pfizer vaccine may be less effective in people with a common illness. Read on to find out if you fall into this group, and for more vaccine news, the CEO of Pfizer says the need for a COVID vaccine is frequent.
Italian researchers observed the response of the Pfizer vaccine to about 250 health professionals, and their findings were preprinted on February 26 in medRxiv. The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, found that healthcare professionals with a BMI greater than 30 had a lower antibody response after receiving the Pfizer vaccine. In fact, these healthcare professionals were able to produce only half the amount of antibodies that healthcare professionals with the lowest BMI produced seven days after the second dose.
“The constant state of low-grade inflammation, present in overweight people, can weaken some immune responses, including those released by T cells, which can directly kill infected cells,” said the study. And for essential vaccination guidelines, Dr. Fauci Just Said Do not take this medicine with the COVID vaccine.
If you are an older man with obesity, your antibody response with the Pfizer vaccine may be even lower – as the study found that age, sex and obesity play a role in the different levels of antibody responses. “These findings imply that women, thin people and young people have an increased ability to mount humoral immune responses compared to men, overweight and the older population,” said the study.
However, it is important to note that, despite differences in antibody levels, none of the participants developed COVID on the seventh day after the second dose – regardless of their sex, age or weight. And for the most up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list obesity and severe obesity as risk factors for serious illnesses caused by the coronavirus. According to the agency, obesity is “linked to impaired immune function”, which can triple a person’s risk of hospitalization for COVID and increase their likelihood of dying from the virus. The CDC also notes that previous research has found that “obesity may be linked to lower vaccine responses” for several other diseases as well, such as influenza, hepatitis B and tetanus. And for the expected side effects of the vaccine, doctors are warning you to “be prepared” for it after your second dose.
Aldo Venuti, MD, author of the corresponding study by Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri in Rome, wrote in a discussion accompanying the study that “it is mandatory to plan an efficient vaccination program” for people with obesity, since they are at a higher risk for severe COVID. This means that vaccine plans may need to be changed for those with this underlying condition. “Although more studies are needed, these data may have important implications for the development of vaccination strategies for COVID-19, particularly in obese people. If our data were confirmed by larger studies, giving obese people an extra dose of the vaccine or a dose higher may be an option to be evaluated in this population “, explained Venuti. And for more reactions to the vaccine to prepare for, if you are over 65, the CDC says you should expect this after your COVID vaccine.