COVID-19 Vaccine Protects Leaky Gut Sufferers

COVID-19 vaccines taken by people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) safely and effectively protect them from the COVID-19 virus, according to a review published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

People with IBD are commonly treated with drugs that suppress the immune system and have reported concerns over whether such treatments might weaken their response to the vaccine.

‘The two doses of the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) population.’

�We wanted to demonstrate systematically that the vaccines will safely protect our IBD patients from COVID-19,� said study author Abhishek Bhurwal, an Advanced IBD Fellow in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

An estimated 3.1 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with IBD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease, which includes Crohn𠏋 disease and ulcerative colitis, causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

The systematic analysis focused on four key aspects of COVID-19 vaccination of IBD patients: the strength of their immune response to the vaccine; the occurrence of breakthrough infections after taking the vaccine; the occurrence of adverse events to the vaccine; and whether differing IBD treatments affected vaccine effectiveness.

They found that vaccinated IBD patients showed high levels of antibody response, known as seroconversion, two weeks after the first vaccine, indicating a strong, positive response to the vaccine.

Vaccinated IBD patients did not experience a higher or lower rate of breakthrough infections than the control group in studies. They also experienced a low rate of adverse events, and the most common events have also been seen in the general population: reactions at the injection site; headaches; backache; and joint pain.

Because of their treatment with immunosuppressive drugs, IBD patients are more susceptible to infectious diseases than the general population. As a result, they have been encouraged to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

Vaccinated IBD patients with different immunosuppressive treatments had a similar response to the vaccine. Further studies are needed for assessing patients on corticosteroids for IBD.

However, the studies analyzed were likely not designed to allow for more subtle distinctions. Additionally, further studies regarding the effectiveness of variants and booster doses are needed.



Source: Medindia