Doctors Concerned COVID-19 Vaccine Could Be Less Effective In Obese Adults
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Doctors are worried that once a vaccine for COVID-19 is here, its effect in the U.S. could be hampered by the obesity epidemic. Scientists say previous vaccines for other illnesses have been less effective in obese adults.
They believe that would likely be the same with the COVID-19 vaccine.
Scientists are also finding that obesity can interfere with the body's immune response, putting obese people at a greater risk of infection.
Meanwhile, Plymouth Meeting-based company Inovio Pharmaceuticals announced positive results from early-stage testing of its COVID-19 vaccine.
A new study suggests people who have recovered from COVID-19 might not have immunity to the virus for very long.
"What they're saying is, the antibody response that shows up in a person's blood may only last three to six months," Dr. Rob Danoff, the program director of family medicine at Jefferson Northeast, said.
Danoff says it's too early to tell whether this will have an impact on how effective a vaccine will be.
"Does that mean a person could get infected again with COVID-19? But here's the thing, we don't know because they weren't testing for a thing called neutralizing antibodies," Danoff said.
But a new test for so-called neutralizing antibodies has just been released by the Mayo Clinic, and it would better tell if a person could have long-term immunity to the virus.
"What they do is, they block this virus from getting into the cells," Danoff said. "It's wild, but neutralizing antibodies are what help protect us and they weren't tested, but now they are."
But even if your body's immunity only lasts a few months against COVID-19, Danoff says "the one thing I want to do is put it in perspective."
Danoff says a future COVID-19 vaccination may simply require a few trips to the doctor.
"I'm sure you've gotten vaccines where you have had boosters — this is kind of the same thing," he said.
As for when an effective vaccine could be available, Danoff says there are more than 140 in development, about two dozen of which are making good progress. He's optimistic there could be a working vaccine by winter this year.
