While the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine boosts immunity against the COVID-19 infection and is highly important to gain full protection against the virus, a recent study has revealed that people, who had organ transplants, remain vulnerable to COVID-19 infections even after the second dose of the vaccine.
Led by the researchers at Johns Hopkins University in the United States, the study concluded that even after two doses of Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, only 54 percent of the people who have received solid organ transplants were able to produce sufficient antibodies that could help fight coronavirus.
Therefore, the study suggested that people with such compromised immunity should strictly adhere to precautions like wearing masks, hand sanitising and social distancing, even after they receive both the doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The study clearly mentions that transplant recipients at no cost should assume that the two doses of vaccine can guarantee them sufficient immunity against the virus. This is majorly because people who receive solid organ transplants such as hearts, lungs and kidneys often take drugs that suppress their immune responses.
Therefore, it is possible that such suppressions caused in the body of a person undergone an organ transplant may interfere with the person’s ability to make antibodies to foreign substances.