Vaccine efficiency

[Ettu]

I’m sure I’m not the only one alarmed at the blood cancer Uk announcement today about the ongoing uncertainty over the covid vaccines’ efficiency for this with MPNs and on medication.

I’m ET and on Hydroxy and aspirin. Diagnosed about a year ago after a Dvt in nov 19.

The results though appear to be based solely on surveys / data after single inoculation doses.

My questions are :-

Does anyone know of any data / surveys involving post second jab patients ?

Are there any in the pipeline due to be published ?

Are there any surveys in the Uk looking for volunteers? I’d happily give a blood sample to assist and , more selfishly, to see if I have the antibodies?

I am grateful for any replies and hope you are all keeping as safe and well as possible.

[rebeccaxxx]

Hiya, my mum was able to get me an antibody test through work and I have antibodies after my two AZ jabs. I too am ET JAK2 and I am on aspirin only, aged 39. There is also an nhs antibody test if you meet certain criteria. HTH.

[Ettu in reply to rebeccaxxx]

Thanks for that.

I’ll speak to my Gp and see if I can get an antibody test done.

[Ebot]

Hi

There are a number of current threads on this topic.

I believe (via Guy’s) that there is indeed a follow up study looking at the efficacy of the vaccines after a second dose. I’m not sure when it is due to be published.

I did see a call out recently for sample donors but I’d had my second dose too long ago to be able to participate. Maybe MPN Voice has further details.

The haem I spoke to last about this issue was fairly upbeat about the results post first dose of vaccine. They are certainly more positive than the awful data that emerged from (the very skewed) study that hit the headlines some months back.

But have say as someone with PV on Hydroxy I’m not overly reassured. Might ask about an antibody test at next appointment in a week.

[Ettu in reply to Ebot]

Hi ebot

Thanks for replying.

[Turfbeg]

Hi, if you read the report from Blood cancer UK that I referred to yesterday it seems to be more specific about our response to the vaccines (as MPN sufferers) BUT is from a small sample of patients and doesn't include their daily dosage of hydroxurea or ruxolitinib. Perhaps someone could post a link to this report?

[Ettu in reply to Turfbeg]

Hi Turfbeg

Thanks for your reply.

[Ebot in reply to Turfbeg]

Yes. The same thoughts went through my head. First, it’s a very small sample and second, does dosage, especially of Hydroxy, make a difference. So many questions. I guess it will take time for the answers to emerge.

Meanwhile I feel very conflicted about how to proceed in the world especially given this sense of ‘demob happy’ in a couple of weeks time. I’m feeling ‘freedom day’ is anything but for some of us.

[MPNBlog]

Hi Pjjcm. In response to your first 2 questions, I've just posted a reply on another thread on this topic about the 21 June British Journal of Haematology article with results on MPNers after first Covid vaccine dose. One of the authors has tweeted about interim data after 2nd dose, so there must be another article in the pipeline. The 21 June article:Impaired antibody response to COVID‐19 vaccination in patients with chronic myeloid neoplasms - Chowdhury - - British Journal of Haematology - Wiley Online Library

Tweets from one of the authors Beth Psaila (Haematologist/Clinician Scientist working on megakaryocytes in myeloproliferative neoplasms @MRC_WIMM , Univ. of Oxford)

" - antibody responses after the 1st vaccine dose were ~60%, so overall lower than in a large cohort of age-matched healthy controls (98% response rate), with lower antibody titres. Notable differences between groups & treatments - excellent responses CML and MPN on interferon..

- lower response rates after 1st dose in MPN patients on hydroxycarbamide or rux, but latest data so far suggests they catch up after 2nd dose. No difference in response rates between Oxford-AZ and Pfizer vaccines.

- Important findings that we hope will help guide optimal vaccination regimens for our patients.

Qsn Any plan to look at effect after booster?

Ans Yes, we are doing that at the moment, and data so far looks very encouraging re high seroconversion rates after 2nd dose."

So the Blood Cancer UK announcement is perhaps giving people more anxiety than is needed for people with MPNs, though some caution is warranted.

Probably not quite the answer you are after, but I hope the information helps. Best wishes.

[Ettu in reply to MPNBlog]

Mpnblog,

Thanks for your reply.

As someone who has both doses your info is encouraging.

Overall, it does seem like early days to be coming to any definitive conclusion so

It seems the only sensible thing to do is be cautious but not panic.

C’est la vie.

All the best , pjjcm.

[azaelea in reply to MPNBlog]

Thank you for this encouraging information! It really helps ! Hopefully we might hear some more when further studies are completed. Fran

[eastwood1932]

Hello, regarding joining any research groups, I am part of Virus Watch which is run by UCL here in UK. It involves a weekly reporting of any test rests or symptoms but crucially I am sent a kit to take a small blood sample which i send off for antibody testing. I don’t know if they are still recruiting but the email is [e-mail]. Btw I have tested positive for N and S antibodies, I did have Covid last year and have had both Pfizer jabs

Janet, triple negative ET on HU

[Ettu]

Thanks Janet. I’ll look into that.

KR,

Pjjcm.