In January A&R, Simon et al. report a study to assess humoral and cellular immune responses after infection with, or vaccination against, SARS-CoV-2 in patients with B cell depletion and controls who are B cell competent, finding that B cell depletion completely blocks humoral but not T cell SARS-CoV-2 vaccination response. In the same issue, Connolly et al. evaluated disease flare and post-vaccination reactions in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases following messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccination.
Vax Hesitancy? Myths & Facts for Patients
Although more than 189,300,000 eligible Americans are fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 as of Oct. 18, 2021, vaccine hesitancy persists.1 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), citing data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey collected between May 26 and June 7, 2021, reports that in some U.S. counties—particularly in the Southeast…
Understanding Risk in the COVID-19 Era
On Sept. 9, my 5-year-old son boarded a bus for his first day of kindergarten. In some senses, this was no different from any other year. We spent weeks trying to get him excited for school (he is not a fan of changes). We went to kindergarten orientation, toured his classroom and sat on his…
Revisionist History: Seat Belts & Resistance to Public Health Measures
Some were furious. State by state, laws were enacted to ensure compliance. In most states, the laws were accompanied by a modest fine, as an added incentive. By the time the laws were written, most understood they were based on good science and common sense. The potential to save lives and prevent tragedy was finally…
COVID-19 Vaccination Induces T Cell Response in Patients Treated with Rituximab
Research indicates mRNA vaccination for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection may induce a T cell response in vulnerable, immunocompromised patient populations being treated with rituximab.
COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy & Safety Discussed at Town Hall
At a recent ACR town hall, panelists described immune responses and side effects of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with rheumatic disease, along with ways to leverage monoclonal antibody treatments, especially in light of virus variants.
COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Rheumatic Disease
With a large percentage of the U.S. population unsure whether they will get vaccinated against COVID-19, rheumatology patients remain vulnerable. On May 13, the ACR hosted a virtual town hall highlighting ways rheumatology providers might effectively approach their patients who have not yet decided to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Get the Slow Yes At the…
Patients with Rheumatic Disease May Experience Flares after SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination
(Reuters Health)—Among a group of New York patients with rheumatic diseases who received a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, nearly one in six experienced disease flares after getting their shots, a new study finds.1 A survey of more than 1,100 patients who had received at least one vaccine dose revealed that 14.9% experienced flares. Among the 654 who…
Researchers Explore Response to COVID-19 Vaccines in the Elderly
A delayed second dose of an mRNA vaccine may provide better protection against COVID-19 in elderly patients.
Vaccine Hesitancy: Wariness Is Rare, But There’s a Wider Worry About COVID Vaccines’ Efficacy in Some Populations
Hesitancy about COVID-19 vaccination persists nationwide, although it varies among regions and sociodemographic groups.