COVID Vaccination and WBC: I am interested to... - CLL Support

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COVID Vaccination and WBC

DUKELAXDAD profile image
15 Replies

I am interested to know if anyone knows how a COVID vaccination or booster affects WBC. I have had 4 shots and COVID three times .It appears my WBC has significantly increased after each shot, and I still got COVID. I received a MAB infusion after I contracted the Delta.

I am concerned that the effects of the vaccination on my WBC is worse than getting COVID again. There is now another booster available and I am unsure about getting the shot.

thanks everyone

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DUKELAXDAD
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15 Replies
Poodle2 profile image
Poodle2

I don't think it's the jabs causing any significant increases. My lymphocytes went up from in the 40's-50's to in the 90's during my first covid infection and never went back down. Two AZ jabs did nothing and after my third Pfizer booster the lymphocytes went down from about 98 to 72. They slowly crept up over the course of 6 months back to the 90's. I think it's just the pace of my disease as I had big jumps and then back down before...but I also think that having covid in 2020, pre vaccines and better treatment options, kickstarted my CLL and put it on accelerate...

DUKELAXDAD profile image
DUKELAXDAD in reply toPoodle2

Thank you.

AussieNeil profile image
AussieNeilPartnerAdministrator

Do your blood test results include a white blood cell differential? This is the breakdown of the WBC into neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, monocytes and basophils. You should monitor the absolute lymphocyte count to more closely track changes in the amount of CLL in your blood. Keep in mind that the lymphocyte count also includes healthly B cells, helper and cytotoxic T cells as well as natural killer cells. The healthy lymphocytes do temporarily increase in response to an infection or vaccination, but should eventually return to their normal levels. See:

healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

Neil

stevesmith1964 profile image
stevesmith1964

HiI would be more concerned if the WBC didn't go up after any vaccination, shows that you had a response.

DUKELAXDAD profile image
DUKELAXDAD in reply tostevesmith1964

I did go get the Labcorp semi qualitative test, 164090 after the second and third shots. I had no antibodies after two shots and just minimal after three shots. Then 2+ months later I got the Delta COVID. I was very sick in two days. But the monoclonal antibodies cleared it up in about 36 hours. I think I will go get the test again to see if I have any antibodies now.

skipro profile image
skipro in reply toDUKELAXDAD

Is the 164,000 plus number your WBC or antibody level?

I have spoken with the doc in charge of the whole lab Corp system. The max value they measure is 25,000.

DUKELAXDAD profile image
DUKELAXDAD in reply toskipro

Sorry it is WBC. Last time I checked my antibodies they were 381.

Splash24 profile image
Splash24

I know of 2 people in my area that tell the exact same story, both on W & W. Both had 3 shots. The numbers never dropped to pre-vaccine levels.

AussieNeil profile image
AussieNeilPartnerAdministrator in reply toSplash24

If it was healthy B, T NK or neutrophils that climbed to boost WBC, I'd be thrilled! Even if it was CLL cells, given there is no lymphocyte count threshold that triggers treatment, I don't see this as a serious concern. IF the increase is due to just CLL cells, I'd be interested in what component of the vaccine might cause this. I would think this might be more likely with unmutated IGHV than mutated IGHV.

Neil

RZ8983DV profile image
RZ8983DV

In my case the WBC and ALC remained stable after 4 vaccinations ,2 AZ. and 2 Pfizer. It would be interesting to see the effects of the 5th (Moderna) back in MY and contracting a mild version of COVID a few weeks agoDave

stevesmith1964 profile image
stevesmith1964

Having spent 40 yrs in pathology and immunology , I seriously believe the vaccine has nothing to do with you WBC. I have had alpha , dealta and omicron, 5 jabs , and my WBC returned to normal. Are you are treatment?

skipro profile image
skipro in reply tostevesmith1964

Steve

Have you been treated for CLL and if so have you relapsed.

Based on statistics, survival after 3 bouts of Covid seems remarkable.

I have relapsed after chemo and CD 20 inhibitor, and have hyogammaglobulinemia.

My wife has NOT been willing to wear masks or ask people that visit to wear a mask so I moved into and live alone in our condo. I’m starting to ask if surviving COVID is worth my marriage or if there be some safe middle ground.

I had no antibody after 4 pfizer shots, but had a big spike in T cells including CD 4,8,19 and NK cells. However there was an indirect T-cell function test showing less than 5 % activity against tetanus, ConA, Candida and a few others

so it was assumed the spike in the appropriate T cells were non functional T cells?

Later I had a response of 600 on a scale of 1800 functional antibodies after a 5th shot, full dose moderna. At Mayo, the FARSCov2 test allegedly measures only antibodies that actually function against Covid snd this seems important as antibodies made by CLL B cells rarely function well.

So because of your background, is is correct to assume my spike in T cells were nonfunctional cells?

And any idea why there were no antibodies after pfizer, but a bit of a response after Moderna?

Thx

Snowshoe

LeoPa profile image
LeoPa

From what I've read some notice no effect, some notice a little increase and some notice an increase by a lot. I guess it's individual. I had three shots and no covid so far. I won't be getting another shot even though my counts were not affected by the shots. But I do continue wearing an ffp2 everywhere I go and seems to me like I'm the only one in town. I wish I enjoyed being the center of attention but I do not 🙂

DUKELAXDAD profile image
DUKELAXDAD in reply toLeoPa

Thank you. I am not wearing a mask anymore.

LeoPa profile image
LeoPa in reply toDUKELAXDAD

I think I never had covid because I do 🙂

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