Rachel FrittsTransplant physicians have worried for months that their patients might not be getting the protection they need from COVID-19 vaccines.
Studies have already shown that many organ recipients don’t produce coronavirus-fighting antibodies even after two doses of the highly effective messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines—an indication their bodies are unable to mount a strong defense against SARS-CoV-2.
A study out today indicates this lack of antibodies is indeed translating to a much higher risk of “breakthrough” cases of COVID-19 among vaccinated transplant recipients.Immunosuppressant drugs, commonly used to keep the body from rejecting a new organ, leave transplant patients more vulnerable to infections.