Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : June 4, 2021 7:20 PM IST
Image credits by: Immunocompromised patients should continue to follow Covid precautions even after vaccination.
Taking certain prescription drugs may increase the risk of COVID-19 severity and hospitalization, if a person gets infected with the virus. Further researchers say these drugs may also reduce the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. Here we are talking about immunosuppressive drugs that are usually used to treat autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys healthy cells by mistake. Immunosuppressive drugs are designed to inhibit this assault on the patient's own tissues.
Such drugs are also prescribed for people receiving an organ transplant to prevent the immune system from attacking the transplanted organ. There are also certain types of chemotherapy that can suppress the immune system. While the use these drugs are limited to people with these chronic conditions, there is a commonly used immunosuppressive drug that is a cause for concern. And that is steroids.
Steroids, also known as corticosteroids, are anti-inflammatory medicines used to treat a range of inflammatory conditions. These medications also reduce the activity of the immune system. Prednisone and dexamethasone are steroids that may be prescribed for conditions like arthritis, colitis, asthma, bronchitis, skin problems, allergies, and sinus infections.
A growing evidence suggests that even short courses and low doses of steroids can increase risk of infections and can reduce the body's response to vaccines. A research by Michigan Medicine stated that people taking immunosuppressive drugs may have a slower, weaker response to COVID vaccination. It also revealed that almost 3 percent of insured U.S. adults under age 65 take such medications.
To increase vaccine efficacy for these patients, experts suggest two ways - either changing the timing of immunosuppressive therapies or giving booster shots to these patients.
For example, the study's lead author Dr. Beth Wallace, a rheumatologist at Michigan Medicine, suggested pausing the medication around the time of vaccination or delay an IV infusion to give the body some time to respond to the vaccine and build protection against the Covid-19 virus. More precisely, experts recommend completing the COVID-19 vaccination at least 2 weeks before starting the immune-suppressing medications. So, it is advisable to speak to your doctor about the risks versus benefits of delaying the immunosuppressive therapy.
Even if you can't delay taking the medications, experts still suggest getting vaccinated since the vaccines can still provide some protection against the deadly virus. They also advised immunocompromised patients to continue to follow precautions such as handwashing and physical distancing even after vaccination to minimize exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
Giving a booster shot, an extra dose given several months after the first vaccination, to people on immunosuppressive therapies is another option being discussed by the researchers.
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