PATIENTS with compromised immune systems due to illness or cancer treatment should be advised by doctors to take the Covid-19 vaccine, a UK clinical expert has said, because the risks posed by the virus would be greater.

Dr Anna Goodman, a consultant in infectious diseases, said during a public Q&A event on the roll-out of the vaccine that there was no evidence of any drugs being incompatible with the Pfizer /BioNTech jab.

She acknowledged that patients in this category had not generally been recruited onto trials, with the exception of some with stable HIV who were included in the Pfizer studies and said it was considered safe for this patient group.

She said the data was unclear as to the efficacy of the vaccine for patients who are immuno-suppressed but said trials were ongoing to examine this further.

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UK regulators issued a warning yesterday that people who have a history of “significant” allergic reactions to medicines, food or vaccines should not currently receive the jag after two NHS workers suffered adverse reactions. They are now said to be recovering.

Dr Goodman, of Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital in London, said those with severe allergies would have to be assessed on an individual basis but stressed that the vaccine would always be administered in a safe environment.

She said patients who are taking blood thinning medication would be subject to certain conditions, while pregnant women have been advised to delay the vaccine until there is more data available.

Dr Goodman joined a panel of researchers and clinical experts in a live webinar hosted by King’s College London which has been over-seeing a public Covid tracking app since the start of the pandemic that has reached millions.

She said the safety of the vaccine for patients with compromised immune systems was one of the “big questions” doctors were considering.

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She said: “These patients were primarily not recruited onto the trials with the exception of stable HIV which was recruited into the Pfzer trial. We know it is safe but we don’t know the efficacy.

“But because we know it is safe across the board as a vaccine I am generally advising people that you simply have to balance it with the risk of not having the vaccine at the moment and therefore encourage your patients to have the vaccine. Across the board, immuno-suppressed patients are accessing the vaccine.

“There are no drugs that people are taking that mean they can’t have this vaccine.

“People can have the vaccine unless they are specifically allergic to it or in the case of pregnancy they are advised to delay or in the case of blood thinners, there are specific requests.

“Generally, immune-suppressed patients should go ahead and take the vaccine.

“People need to be individually assessed. If they do have severe allergies we are recommending they speak to their doctor. All the vaccines are being given in a very safe environment.”

Scottish Care has said it is developing a communications campaign to encourage care home staff to have the vaccine after a “minority”expressed concern about its safety.

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Karen Hedge, deputy director, said the Pfizer vaccine will be going into an initial 14 care homes next week.

Regulations around the vaccine, which must be stored at minus 70C before being thawed out, mean care home staff cannot administer it themselves and need NHS staff to perform the procedure.

At Scottish Care’s weekly surgery session for care home managers, only two or three out of more than 100 said staff had said they were reluctant to take it.

Decisions around which care homes receive the vaccine first are “complex”, she said, as much depends on whether staff are able to take time out for the procedure or whether a current outbreak restricts external visitors.

Individual NHS boards will put plans in place for the delivery of the vaccine to care homes.

Dr Macey Murray a Research Fellow in Trial Conduct Methodology at University College London said vaccine trials had included a broad population of the patient groups deemed most vulnerable including those from black and ethnic minorities, while 41% of those taking part were elderly.

Kate Bingham, who advises the UK government on vaccine policy, said a suggestion that different vaccines could be taken for the two required doses had been “overblown” in the media.

She said: “It’s not going to happen until those vaccines are fully approved. It needs to get to a point of licensed vaccines.”

In terms of when patients will receive the two doses she said the trials had included a gap of 42 days.

She said: “There is data outside of Covid where if you increase duration that can have a positive impact on immune response.

“We need to look at clinical data to see if that is borne out.”

“The proposed time was 3 weeks but some had it 42 days later. We are very keen that this is the minimum but it is certainly clear you can go longer.”

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