Pausing immune-suppressing drug can boost COVID-19 vaccine response
A study has found that people with weakened immune systems can improve their protection against COVID-19 by pausing their medication after their booster vaccination.
Participants on the Vaccine Response On Off Methotrexate (VROOM) trial were asked to stop taking the immune-suppressing drug methotrexate for two weeks after receiving a booster COVID-19 vaccination.
Methotrexate is taken by 1.3 million people in the UK with inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. The drug is effective at controlling inflammatory conditions but reduces the body’s ability to fight infections and respond well to COVID-19 vaccines.
Participants had a greater level of protection from the virus for up to 6 months. Some reported more flare-ups of their inflammatory conditions, for which most did not require help from a healthcare provider.
The study recruited 383 participants across 45 sites in the UK including 9 at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford.
