Immunogenicity and vaccine effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in people on immunosuppressive therapies

The study examined how COVID-19 vaccines work in people taking immunosuppressive medications. Researchers analyzed antibody levels after mRNA vaccination in patients with various conditions including hematological malignancies, neurological disorders, and rheumatic diseases. People treated with B-cell depleting drugs had 54.5-fold lower antibody levels compared to healthy individuals, and those on S1P inhibitors had 24.8-fold lower levels. Neutralizing antibody levels were associated with vaccine effectiveness against infections and hospitalization. However, even when immunosuppressed people had the same antibody levels as healthy individuals, they showed lower protection against infections and hospitalization.