Covid vaccine

[Crommie]

Anyone know how efficient the covid vaccines are when taking prednisolone? I was prescribed it for suspected GCA 13 days after my second jab. Worried!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

No-one really knows yet - the studies are still underway. There are reports of some people on pred having measureable antibodies and reports of some who don't.

If you didn't start pred until 2 weeks after the second jab, then you will have had a normal response to the first and a fair response to the second, it takes about 2 weeks to develop. Tht is better than most of us can hope for.

The fact you are on high dose steroids should still mean that you continue with the non-pharmaceutical measures of face, space and hands: a mask at all times when others are around, avoiding gatherings and practising good hygiene. The vaccines are not 100% protection even at their best - and the error made in the UK has been to drop the NPMs before enough of the population has been double jabbed. It is the combination that confers a high level of protection - not the vaccine alone.

[Maltesemama in reply to PMRpro]

Hi! I’ve heard that 10 mg or under do not interfere with the development of antibodies. But I took mine with 20 mg and was tested had still had antibodies. Who really knows? Best of everything. And b safe!