Understanding poor vaccine responses in individuals with weakened immune systems

When the COVID-19 vaccine first became available, people eagerly signed up for coveted slots to boost their antibodies against the virus that shut down much of the world. But not everyone who rolled up their sleeve received equal protection from illness. A significant proportion of the population has weakened immune systems, including cancer patients, those with autoimmune disease, and organ transplant recipients. The immune systems of these individuals are unable to ward off disease as effectively, and their responses to vaccines are not as robust. Now, Yale researchers have received a $12 million award from the NIH as part of the Human Immune Project Consortium (HIPC) to study vaccine responses in vulnerable groups, including patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) undergoing B cell depletion therapy, older adults including particularly vulnerable older residents of long-term care facilities, and individuals with sickle cell disease who have substantial and potentially disabling morbidity and early mortality...