Should People With an Autoimmune Condition Get a Covid-19 Vaccine?

Your questions about safety and efficacy, answered

Mo Perry
Elemental

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Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

Most people deciding to be vaccinated against Covid-19 can support their choice with clinical trial data, which has demonstrated the safety and efficacy of both the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines. But people suffering from autoimmune conditions, particularly those on immune-suppressing medications, are facing the decision of whether to receive a shot without the benefit of robust evidence-based guidance, as they were excluded from the Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, and AstraZeneca clinical trials.

In the absence of clinical trial data, how should people with autoimmune conditions approach the risk/benefit analysis of getting vaccinated? Here’s what several experts had to say.

Autoimmunity is a big tent

Autoimmune (literally “self-immune”) disease happens when the immune system turns its aggression on the body’s own healthy cells and tissues. According to the American Autoimmune Related…

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Responses (10)