Did you know that the decrease in each patient's immune response when taking vaccines can be decisive? Well, depending on the conditions presented in the immune system, there are some vaccines that cannot be applied to people with immunosuppression.This is because immunocompromised patients may not be exposed to live infectious agents, putting them at greater risk of developing serious illnesses than they were trying to avoid. But what exactly is immunosuppression? Understand below.
read more
Can you get multiple vaccines at the same time? Dengue vaccine: everything you need to know about the vaccine Biosafety: what it is, examples and importance What is immunosuppression? You know when we catch a cold and after a few days our body recovers and “we’re ready for another cold”? This does not happen with those who are immunosuppressed, because that person's health status is limited to a more delicate state.
Generally, an immunocompromised patient is one whose system becomes weak due to certain conditions and may be at increased risk of infectious diseases. In this case, there are patients with more serious chronic diseases, such as HIV, or transplant patients (solid organ transplant, hematopoietic stem cells), as well as patients with rheumatological and autoimmune diseases.
Immunosuppression affects the immune system, making the body more susceptible to infections and diseases. Image: PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock What risk does immunosuppression pose to the patient? In addition to the risks associated with the patient's specific condition, immunocompromised people must take extra care when getting vaccinated.
Although they need to keep their vaccination schedule up to date to protect themselves, they need to take more care than the general population. For example, consult a medical professional before getting vaccinated. Because some live attenuated vaccines may increase the risk for immunocompromised people.
On the other hand, these patients can take other vaccines classified as inactivated, but their effectiveness may be reduced depending on the individual's degree of immunosuppression. However, it is possible to take other measures to protect this patient from such diseases, such as vaccinating those who are part of their environment. After all, once infected, an immunocompromised patient can experience more severe illness than a healthy individual.
A healthy diet is essential for patients with immunosuppression. Image: Nova África / Shutterstock With regard to vaccines against COVID-19, said Dr. Elián Matos dos Santos, from Asesoría Clínica de Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz, in a statement to Invivo – Museu da Vida, the first of them has done The population has demonstrated that vaccines are safe and effective even in these groups.