Tag : Lupus

New York: Those with systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE, who received a "booster" dose of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine after receiving the full dosage are about half as likely to experience a subsequent "breakthrough" COVID-19 infection, according to a recent study. This study was published in The Lancet Rheumatology journal on July 12. The discovery, according to researchers, should provide comfort to the more than 200,000 Americans who suffer from SLE, a disorder where the immune system of the body unintentionally targets its own healthy tissues, particularly joints and skin. They are more susceptible to infections, such as SARS-CoV-2, when taking immune-suppressing medications, like steroids, which are required to control the disease's symptoms. The current study, led by doctors from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, followed 163 fully immunised men and women receiving SLE treatment at its affiliated institutions in New York City. Given that more than half of the participants were using at least one immune-suppressive drug for their SLE, the researchers wanted to determine who contracted the virus over a period of at least six months. Prior to June 2021, all had gotten some combination of vaccinations made by Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson, but only 125 had received a booster or third dosage. The study revealed that 44 vaccinated SLE patients had experienced breakthrough infections by the conclusion of the monitoring period (April 24, 2022), with two of them necessitating hospitalization (but both surviving their infection). 28 of 125, or 22 percent, of those who had breakthrough infections, had had a booster, compared to 16 of 38, or 42 percent, who had not. Investigators found it noteworthy that the bulk of breakthrough inf ...