{"id":160833,"date":"2021-01-22T20:37:42","date_gmt":"2021-01-22T17:37:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/im-immunocompromised-can-i-get-the-covid-19-vaccine\/"},"modified":"2021-01-22T20:37:42","modified_gmt":"2021-01-22T17:37:42","slug":"im-immunocompromised-can-i-get-the-covid-19-vaccine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/im-immunocompromised-can-i-get-the-covid-19-vaccine\/","title":{"rendered":"#I’m immunocompromised. Can I get the COVID-19 vaccine?"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#I’m immunocompromised. Can I get the COVID-19 vaccine?<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

\n Vaxx Populi: Some groups were excluded from Pfizer and Moderna vaccine trials\u2014including those who are immunocompromised and pregnant. Where does that leave them now?\n <\/div>\n
\n The most common question being asked of Dr. Karina Top is \u201c<\/span>whether people in priority groups ([such as]<\/span> health care workers) who have weakened immune systems or are pregnant should get the COVID-19 vaccine,\u201d says the pediatric <\/span>infectious disease physician and associate professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, whose research focus is vaccine safety, including for immune-compromised patients.
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\u201c<\/span>Whether they should get the vaccine comes down to the balance of their risk of exposure to COVID-19, [their] risk of severe COVID-19 if they are exposed and the potential risks of the vaccine. It\u2019s an individual decision that people need to discuss with their health care provider.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were initially app<\/a>roved for use at the end of 2020, many jurisdictions restricted access to the populations who had been in the companies\u2019<\/span> large phase 3 clinical trials, thus excluding pregnant and immunocompromised people. In recent weeks, as experts around the world pour over new data and studies\u2014including from the continued monitoring of trial participants\u2014some of those same jurisdictions are easing their initial criteria for who can get the vaccines.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0How will I know (and where do I go) when it\u2019s my turn to get the COVID vaccine?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

One example of that change can be seen in Ontario, which updated its eligibility criteria in January. Its <\/span>COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations for Special Populations<\/span><\/a> now states that pregnant and breastfeeding women, those with autoimmune conditions as well as immunocompromised persons are eligible to receive the vaccines, though with \u201cinformed counselling and consent.\u201d <\/span>Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases physician who is on Ontario\u2019s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force,<\/span><\/a> called the province\u2019s move an<\/span> \u201cimportant (and very welcome) change.\u201d Like Ontario, <\/span>Alberta also permits those who are immunocompromised, pregnant or breastfeeding<\/span><\/a> to get the vaccines, though some of those who have immune issues need to consult their family doctor or specialist first.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn general<\/a>, we know that COVID-19 can be more severe in people who are pregnant or have certain types of immune system problems, especially if they have other risk factors like older age, obesity, and diabetes,\u201d explains Top <\/span>in an email to <\/span>Maclean\u2019s<\/span><\/i>. \u201c<\/span>We also know that the vaccines currently being used in Canada can\u2019t cause COVID-19 because they don\u2019t contain live virus. However, the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in people who are pregnant or have weakened immune systems aren\u2019t fully known because they were not included in the clinical trials.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the severity of a person\u2019s disease to consider: \u201cIndividuals who are on treatment to suppress their immune system are likely to have a better response to the vaccine when they are on the lowest doses of immune suppression that they can tolerate and their underlying disease is under control,\u201d explains Top.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Complicating the discussions that people are having with their health care providers is the fact that no one is sure about potential side effects for those with immunity issues who get the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. <\/span>\u201cThe two COVID-19 vaccines are using a new technology<\/a>\u2014mRNA\u2014to train your immune system to recognize the virus that causes COVID-19,\u201d says Top. \u201cThere are concerns that these vaccines could also activate the immune system in a way that is unhelpful, such as a <\/span>[flare-up] of the autoimmune disease.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0COVID-19 in Canada: How our battle against the second wave is going<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cGenerally the recommendations have moved toward considering COVID-19 vaccination if the benefits outweigh the risks after a discussion with a health care provider about that lack of information on the safety or effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in people with immune system issues,\u201d explains Top.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to governmental recommendations, disease-specific<\/span> organizations are offering basic guidance. <\/span>Lupus Canada<\/span><\/a>\u2019s website, for example, states that, as \u201cpeop<\/span>le with lupus may be at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19\u2026current recommendations are for adults with lupus to be immunized against COVID-19 when it becomes available.\u201d<\/span> And on Jan. 11, <\/span>the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada reiterated its support for pregnant and breastfeeding women being eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines<\/span><\/a> in a consensus statement: \u201cWomen who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be offered vaccination at any time if they are eligible and no contraindications exist.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As Canada rolls out the country\u2019s most complex vaccination project to date,\u00a0<\/em>Maclean\u2019s\u00a0presents\u00a0<\/em>Vaxx Populi, an ongoing series<\/a> in which Patricia Treble tackles the most pressing questions related to the new COVID-19 vaccines. Send us a question you\u2019d like answered at\u00a0vaccines@macleans.ca. If you have specific questions about your own health, we recommend consulting a family doctor or the local public health authority in your area.<\/em>
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