Summary of Obesity’s Role in Rapid COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Decline:
A study by the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh has found that COVID-19 vaccine protection declines more rapidly in people with severe obesity, indicating they may need more frequent booster doses for sustained immunity. The study suggests that people with obesity are likely to need more frequent booster doses to maintain their immunity. The findings have significant implications for vaccine prioritization policies worldwide. The researchers found that people with severe obesity had a 76% higher risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes than those with a normal BMI. More frequent booster doses are likely needed to maintain protection against COVID-19 in people with obesity.
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COVID-19 vaccine protection declines faster in people with severe obesity, study finds
A new study by the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh has found that vaccine protection against COVID-19 declines more rapidly in people with severe obesity than in those with average weight. This suggests that these individuals may require more frequent booster doses to maintain their immunity against the virus. The study is the first to demonstrate that the ability of antibodies to neutralize the virus declines faster in people with severe obesity than in those of average weight. The findings have significant implications for vaccine prioritization policies around the world.
Obese individuals may require more frequent booster doses for sustained immunity.
During the pandemic, people with obesity were more likely to be hospitalized, require ventilators, and die from COVID-19. In the latest study, the researchers aimed to investigate how far two commonly used vaccines protect people with obesity compared to those with average weight over time. The researchers discovered that people with severe obesity, defined as a BMI over 40 kg/m2, had a 76% higher risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes than those with a normal BMI. A modest increase in risk was also seen in people with obesity and underweight people. Furthermore, breakthrough infections after the second vaccine dose led to hospitalization and death sooner in people with severe obesity and those with obesity than in individuals with average weight.
Vaccine protection drops off faster for severely obese individuals.
In the study, the University of Edinburgh team analyzed real-time data from the EAVE II study, which tracked the health of 3.5 million people in the Scottish population. They looked at hospitalization and mortality from COVID-19 in adults who received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, including the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA or AstraZeneca ChAdOx1 vaccines. Meanwhile, the University of Cambridge team studied people with severe obesity attending Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and compared the function of immune cells in their blood with those of people of average weight. They took blood samples six months post-second vaccine dose and then studied the response to a third booster vaccine dose over time.
The potential need for more frequent booster doses to maintain immunity
The research found that six months after the second vaccine dose, people with severe obesity had similar levels of antibodies to the COVID-19 virus as those with an average weight. However, their ability to fight against the virus through “neutralization capacity” was reduced in people with obesity. The researchers found that more frequent booster doses may be needed to maintain protection against COVID-19 in people with obesity, as the defense doesn’t last as long. With roughly one-third of the UK population considered to have obesity and obesity prevalence rates remaining high globally, the findings pose a significant challenge to health services worldwide.
Conclusion
The latest study by the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh suggests that planning vaccine booster doses for individuals with severe obesity needs to be factored into global vaccine prioritization policies. The study is the first to demonstrate that the ability of antibodies to neutralize the COVID-19 virus declines faster in people with severe obesity than in those with average weight. The findings imply that people with obesity may require more frequent booster doses to maintain immunity, as they are at a higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19. Since the prevalence of obesity remains high worldwide, the results have significant implications for healthcare services globally.
