What immunosuppressed patients should know about the coronavirus vaccines

Cancer patients. Organ transplant recipients. Individuals with HIV. Those with autoimmune or chronic inflammatory conditions such as lupus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. An estimated 10 million people in the United States are considered immunocompromised, including those who were born with immune-system deficiencies. It often makes them more susceptible to infections and puts them at a higher risk of experiencing a more severe outcome when they get sick.

So it makes sense why many would want to inoculate themselves against covid-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus — and public health authorities have advised them to do it. But even though the coronavirus vaccines authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration are considered safe for people with compromised immune systems, some of them may not produce protective antibodies after vaccination, or any antibodies at all. That’s why researchers are working to understand more about vaccines’ effectiveness within the immunocompromised community and how to protect the most vulnerable.

I’m immunocompromised. Will the vaccines work for me?

No one knows yet for certain, and it will probably depend on a number of factors: the individuals, the illnesses and which immune-suppressing treatments are involved in their care.

U.S. clinical trials did not specifically study the effectiveness of the coronavirus vaccines in people with compromised immune systems, so there is not yet conclusive data to show how they will ultimately respond.

But emerging research seems to suggest it will be a mixed bag — that although some immunocompromised individuals may make antibodies, others may not. And for those who do, it is not known whether the antibodies will be effective at neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 (the virus’s official name), what level of antibody will be needed to protect against infection or how long the antibodies will last.