Fully vaccinated Napa woman dies of virus

Women in Napa have died of COVID-19 despite being completely vaccinated, and those vaccinated are particularly medically vulnerable and the virus is still widespread. If so, it vividly reminds us that vaccinated people are not invincible.

“There is no 100% effective vaccine, but the urgency and importance of vaccination is not diminished, especially because more variants emerge.” “Vaccines are excellent against viral deaths and illnesses.” Provides protection. All residents must continue vaccination to protect themselves and others. “

The unidentified woman died Wednesday after a long hospital stay. She had an underlying illness and was over 65 years old.

According to the California Public Health Service, more than 17 million fully vaccinated California cases have identified 5,305 post-vaccinated COVID-19 cases as of May 26, a “breakthrough.” The rate is 0.03%.

Of these, at least 373 were hospitalized and at least 40 died. According to the CDPH, it is unknown whether the main cause of hospitalization or death was COVID-19 or any other cause.

Since it was not included in the initial trial of the vaccine, there is little data on the effectiveness of the vaccine for people with underlying diseases, especially immune dysfunction.

However, there is increasing evidence that people with immunodeficiency may not respond strongly to the vaccine.

This underscores the importance of widespread vaccination, medical professionals say. Vulnerable people are quarantined only if everyone else is vaccinated, so the virus cannot find enough people to infect and can stop its deadly spread.

Dr. Brian Schwartz, a professor of medicine in the Infectious Diseases Division at UCSF Health, says it is especially important to vaccinate friends and family of people with a weakened immune system.

“You’ll want to create an immune barrier in your home … it will greatly reduce your chances of getting infected,” he said.

People with weakened immunity also need to wear masks and stay away from unvaccinated people, he said.

In March, a fully vaccinated Chicago man died of COVID-19 after eating out with a friend, one of whom tested positive for the virus the day after the meal. The deceased man was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2019.

People can become immunocompromised for a variety of reasons, Schwartz said.

“It’s a heterogeneous group. With so many different drugs that affect different pathways in the immune system, you would expect different reactions to the vaccine,” he said.

If you have an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, or inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis, you may be taking medications that suppress your immune system.

Some medicines, such as rituximab, methotrexate, and prednisone, deplete the B cells that the body needs to make antibodies.

When vaccinated, their bodies produce antibodies, but not enough. In one study, people vaccinated against autoimmune diseases had one-third lower antibody levels than healthy people. Steroids resulted in a 10-fold reduction.

Chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer also lowers the immune system. Some blood cancers put people at risk. Patients with breast and gastrointestinal cancer responded 95% to the vaccine, while patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia responded only 23%.

People who have had organ or bone marrow transplants and are taking drugs that reduce rejection are vulnerable because they reduce their natural defenses. One study found 38% to 59% of mild antibody responses to vaccines in people who received an organ transplant.

Medical tests – specifically tests that measure “anti-spike IgG antibodies” – can reveal the strength of the immune response. However, the number of antibodies needed to protect is not yet known. And these tests do not measure the second arm of the immune system, which involves T cells.

However, partial immunity is also effective. Evidence that vaccinated but ill people are at lower risk of serious illness and death than unvaccinated people with similar risk factors, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. there is.

The CDC is working with the state and local health departments to investigate groundbreaking cases of these COVID-19 vaccines. The goal is to identify unusual patterns such as potential health, age, gender, vaccines used, or the propensity of the viral variants that have made these people sick.

Scientists are looking for ways to boost the immune response of these vulnerable patients. They are studying whether higher doses of the vaccine are needed. Or you may need a “booster” later. Perhaps discontinuing immunosuppressive treatment during vaccination may provide better protection.

“This is an area where we need to continue learning,” Schwartz said. “At this point, we don’t have enough information to make a really good decision.”