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Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many public health officials have warned the people with immunocompromised, should take special caution to avoid catching COVID-19. Now, many COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide, still, warnings for immunocompromised people are given to be careful, even if they're fully vaccinated.

Millions of people are getting severely ill due to the diseases, caused by a coronavirus. Against this virus, many companies have developed many vaccines against virus. Among these vaccines, many are restricted to immunocompromised people as it might become dangerous for them. 

What does Immunocompromised mean? 

This is the condition, where the immune system of the person has a reduced ability to fight against any infection or disease and does not function properly. This condition mainly occurs due to many diseases which weaken the immune system. Some of the chronic medical conditions can cause this condition like Cancer, AIDS, Heart disease, Lung disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, etc. Radiation therapy, poor nutrition, and pregnancy are some of the other causes that make a person immune-compromised. 

Can immunocompromised people receive the COVID-19 vaccine?

According to CDC, most people with immune-compromised conditions can be vaccinated with the Covid-19 vaccine. Not all vaccines are recommended to these patients but vaccines which contain inactivated Coronavirus are safe to be taken. 

Which Covid-19 vaccines are safe for immunocompromised patients?

According to World Health Organization (WHO), the Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) vaccine, Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine, and AstraZeneca AZD1222 vaccine are safe for these patients. As these vaccines contain inactivated viruses, thus cannot infect these patients. These are mRNA vaccines that use genetic material to train your body to recognize and fight off the virus. The other vaccine which is safe is Johnson & Johnson vaccine, a viral vector vaccine that delivers instructions to the body’s immune system using an inactivated virus called an adenovirus. 

Does Vaccine is less effective in immunocompromised patients?

Due to the weakened immune response, vaccines are less effective or compromise your body’s effect to tolerate the side effects of vaccines. This means you should speak and consult your doctor before vaccination and this doesn’t mean you need to skip vaccination. 

The Bottom Line

If you are immune-compromised, you have a greater risk of getting Covid-19 than those having a normal functioning immune system. Though people are not fully protected from the vaccine, it provides some protection, which is better than none.