Agrima Bhatt, Rajasthan University
SARS-CoV-2 vaccination data has proven to lower the morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19. However, this data severely lacks research among people suffering from immunodeficiency disorders, such as AIDS. In events of such opportunistic infections, where the human body is unable to produce the required immune response, the person is said to be immunocompromised. A person can also be immunocompromised as a result of drug treatment or radiation.
THE DEADLY SYNDROME
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a disease that is often referred to as the late stage of infection caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The disease severely damages the immune response of the human body. However, by taking antiretroviral therapy (ART), people can increase their life expectancy and can live healthy lives. HIV utilizes the CD-4 T cells, which is a type of white blood cell which helps in fighting infection, to replicate itself. This process destroys the number of CD4 T cells, thus weakening our immune system.
With over 9.6% of the population fully vaccinated around the globe, the 40 million people suffering from HIV all around the world, who may have less functional immunity and thereby being more prone to COVID-19 infection and more associated complications than the general public. Thus, data on vaccination immunogenicity against SARS-CoV-2 becomes essential.
THE STUDY:
Scientists from Oxford University with a partnership with AstraZeneca have developed a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus which has shown to be efficacious in people who are suffering from HIV. The vaccine for Covid positive HIV patients, named ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine has shown evidence that it is safe to be administered to people who were not immunocompromised as well as shown in its immunogenicity, and effectiveness to be among the first to show humoral and cell-mediated immune response in people with HIV possessing good CD4 cell counts and well-suppressed viremia.
According to WHO, The vaccine for Covid positive HIV patients- AZD1222 vaccine has shown effectiveness of 63.09% against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Presently, two versions of the vaccine have been approved for emergency usage by the World Health Organization (WHO). These are produced by the AstraZeneca-SKBio and the Serum Institute of India, both of which are being administered to the public.
APPLICATION & DOSAGE
Vaccine safety was studied on participants with HIV on ART having more than 350 CD4 cells/μL. Two doses of this vaccine expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were administered in 4-6 weeks. These vaccines are developed from clinical trials on chimpanzees. They are a type of non-replicating adenovirus-vectored vaccine which has proven to be successful in people without HIV infection.
EXPERIMENTATION & RESULT
For testing purposes, 54 male participants suffering from HIV were selected and given two doses of AZD1222. Reactions such as pain at the receiving hand, fatigue, malaise, muscle ache, and others were induced in the first seven days. There was no severe reactions/infection. T-cells were found to be enhanced on days 14 and 28 after the first dose administration. Thus, the vaccine for Covid positive HIV patients- ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 was found to be safe and immunogenic in patients with HIV in this investigation, recommending immunization for those on ART.
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References:
- Frater, J., Ewer, K. J., Ogbe, A., Pace, M., Adele, S., Adland, E., Alagaratnam, J., Aley, P. K., Ali, M., Ansari, M. A., Bara, A., Bittaye, M., Broadhead, S., Brown, A., Brown, H., Cappuccini, F., Cooney, E., Dejnirattisai, W., Dold, C., … Clutterbuck, E. A. (2021). Safety and immunogenicity of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Azd1222) vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 in HIV infection: A single-arm substudy of a phase 2/3 clinical trial. The Lancet HIV, S235230182100103X. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3018(21)00103-X
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