So I understand theres doubt of the efficacy of the covid vaccines in the case of immuno-compromised folks such as us. I understand it could be that our protection really kicks in once the masses, the herd, has been vaccinated.
I have a thought, and appreciate any views you might have.
I will definitely take the vaccine, as soon as I'm offered. I'm then of a mind to have an antibody test some weeks after (if its going to be weeks between the 2 then probably after the initial shot) obviously I'd hope to show positive for antibodies but at least if negative I know I still need to be very careful. I would assume that the vaccine may not then protect me at all. If I have antibodies I feel i could relax more, specifically in a work environment. I'm not certain if this strategy would even work, thoughts please again.
1) You may find it very difficult to get your antibody response measured, due to the unprecedented demands on the medical system
2) Lack of an antibody response doesn't mean that you also don't have a T cell response to the vaccine. I've just finished listening to a webinar on T Cells: A New Hope for Lasting Protection against SARS-CoV-2 and one of the speakers mentioned a lack of correlation between antibody and T cell response in people without CLL. The immune system response in otherwise healthy people to SARS-CoV-2 is heterogeneous.
Irrespective of the above, you would be wise to continue taking precautions against infection until the community incidence is low.
Neil
Thanks for the input. I should have said I would take the test privately, superdrug for instance do a home test which is only £69. I do realise the immune system is complex and a test perhaps not conclusive but my hope would be that I would have antibodies. I understand the t cell memory function is much harder (and this expensive) to test. Of course I'm not about to take chances given our local authorities (in Northern Ireland) are estimating all adults here, 18+, who want the vaccine will have it by the end of the summer.
Belfastbees, your community profile suggests you should get a better antibody response from vaccine than many CLL patients, and a positive antibody test result would confirm it.
But what would a negative result mean? How useful would a qualitative test be for CLL patients who are older/ further progressed/ treated, with consequently weaker immune systems? I assume they would need their weaker immune response to vaccine quantified, by titre of antibodies and preferably also T cells. As AussieNeil indicated, it's hard for individuals to get that kind of work done. IMO it could and should be done in clinical studies of immunocompromised people. The importance and urgency of such a project seems to have eluded the decision makers so far.
Yes, I understand getting a test does raise the question of what I do if its negative. I'm undecided and have considered that result, and the fact that either result could be false in any case. The best outcome for everyone, not just those with conditions deemed problematic, would be the mass vaccination of the general public of course. UK gov does seem to be proceeding well thus far.
In your shoes I would do the antibody test 4 weeks after the second vaccination. Making sure the sensitivity of that test has been independently verified as up to scratch. But the result either way would not make me relax precautions, at least not consciously.
Neil, I also listened to the webinar and thought that it was especially well run. Of course I was thinking of you as I was watching, planning to send you a link when it was available. 🙂 As soon as the webinar ended I downloaded the Cell paper to which the researchers referred. In general I thought that the webinar presented a hopeful picture.
I agree. The recorded presentation won't be available for a few days. I wonder if they have any idea how those with CLL would go with T cell immunity, particularly during/after treatment.
Will we all be able to see this when available Neil? Could you post the link if possible?Peggy
I can do that, but the webinar didn't cover the immune response of immune compromised folk. That said, there was mention of one of the study participants who contracted a COVID-19 infection and who didn't develop an antibody response yet still managed to develop an adequate T cell response.
Neil
Thank you Neil. I Would like to watch. After all, the one thing I do have is time!🤣
Here's the Webinar replay: bigmarker.com/labx-media-gr...
That was fast!
Neil
Thank you Neil.😀
I did pose a question during the webinar, but it wasn't addressed. I asked for their opinion about the strategy of widespread postponing the second vaccine dose in favor of more people getting vaccinated.
Hi! Could you send it to me, Please? Im anaesthetist and im shielding since March. I’m really fed up with this Covid and some optimistic professional reading would be very helpful. Regards. Temida