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Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine may be less effective in obese people, scientists have warned.
Severely overweight healthcare workers generated only half of the antibodies to fend off Covid after receiving two doses of the vaccine, compared to healthy people.
Italian researchers have said that people who are obese may need another booster vaccine, or larger doses, to protect them against the disease.
People who are severely overweight are already considered to be at higher risk of becoming seriously ill or dying if they are infected.
Scientists say it may be because they’re more likely to have other conditions – like diabetes and high blood pressure – or to have difficulty breathing.
Experts said today that the well-known obesity – defined as a BMI over 30 – hinders the effectiveness of jabs.
Previous research has suggested that the flu shot, which is given out every winter, may be half as effective in people who are severely overweight.
But the Italian study, which has yet to be reviewed by fellow scientists, is said to be the first time the same link has been found for Covid.
According to experts, carrying extra weight can lead to constant mild inflammation of the immune system, which impairs its function.
For comparison, in healthy people, it only triggers inflammation when it fights infection.
Almost a third of adults in England and almost 40% in the United States are classified as obese, according to estimates.
In the study, 248 participants received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine at the Rome-based Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri.
The scientists analyzed their blood for antibody levels seven days after the administration of the second dose.
Antibodies are anti-virus proteins that can stop a Covid infection. They are an important part of the immune system – but not the only one.
The results showed that while those who were normal weight had a high concentration (325.8), those who were obese had half that level (167.1), on average.
But the study only included 26 obese people, which is considered too small to draw any concrete conclusions.
And there was no significant difference in the results between those who were obese and of normal weight, meaning more tests are needed.
The study has only been published as a pre-print on medRxiv, and its methodology and results have not yet been peer reviewed.
He also looked at vaccine responses by age – but found no significant differences between different groups.
Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline he thought the numbers looked ‘strangely high’.
“It’s probably the small number (of participants),” he said. “But that an effect is observed is not surprising.
“It would have nothing to do with the vaccine, everything would be similar. It is the individual’s response that is compromised.
He added that it was a “ general finding ” that injections are less effective in obese people.
“It’s not entirely clear why, but it may be linked to metabolic syndrome which in turn has a ripple effect on many cellular functions, including immunity,” he said.
Metabolic syndrome is the medical term for a group of conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Source: Dailymail.com
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