Protection from infection and side-effects of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines in persons with weakened immune responses.
Persons with weakened immune responses, including those who received transplants, are at an increased risk for experiencing airway infections and have more severe complications than the general population. During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, transplant recipients were particularly vulnerable to experiencing disruptions to their lifestyle, more severe complications, and death.
This is related, at least in part, to decreased ability to develop a protective immune response to vaccines. A stronger protective immune response to vaccines may be lifesaving for these patients, but there is limited information on how to optimize them.
This project will try to address this concern by considering two strategies for improved protection for vaccines targeting airway infections. These strategies will try to answer these two questions:
1. Can we improve vaccine uptake and protective effects by giving COVID-19 and seasonal flu vaccines together or one after the other?
2. What is the preferred time gap between serial COVID-19 vaccine doses that results in better protection?
Improving protection against airway infections will improve the health and quality of life of persons with weakened immunity and decrease the likelihood of future healthcare emergencies.
