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GOV.UK
Department of Health & Social Care
Published 1 September 2021
On 5 and 19 August 2021 the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) considered whether some individuals may benefit from a third vaccine dose as part of their primary schedule of COVID-19 vaccination (described henceforth in this document as ‘third primary dose’).
Third primary dose vaccination
Some individuals who are immunosuppressed due to underlying health conditions or medical treatment may not mount a full immune response to COVID-19 vaccination. Most of the currently available data comes from immunogenicity studies that have measured binding or neutralising antibody levels. Some studies have also measured cellular responses. Interpretation of both types of evidence is hampered by the lack of agreed correlates of protection. It is further recognised that the correlates of protection against infection, symptomatic disease and severe COVID-19 (hospitalisation and deaths) may differ both in the short and longer term. Comparison across studies is affected by the use of different assays with different test characteristics. Some studies indicate that the profile of antibody responses do not necessarily match those of cellular responses. Most of the data relates to the Pfizer-BNT162b2 vaccine.
Preliminary results from UK studies of real-world vaccine effectiveness (VE) in persons who are immunosuppressed suggest only a modest reduction in VE against symptomatic COVID-19, but confidence intervals are wide and overlap with VE estimates for persons who are not immunosuppressed.[footnote 1] ...
Department of Health & Social Care
Published 1 September 2021
On 5 and 19 August 2021 the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) considered whether some individuals may benefit from a third vaccine dose as part of their primary schedule of COVID-19 vaccination (described henceforth in this document as ‘third primary dose’).
Third primary dose vaccination
Some individuals who are immunosuppressed due to underlying health conditions or medical treatment may not mount a full immune response to COVID-19 vaccination. Most of the currently available data comes from immunogenicity studies that have measured binding or neutralising antibody levels. Some studies have also measured cellular responses. Interpretation of both types of evidence is hampered by the lack of agreed correlates of protection. It is further recognised that the correlates of protection against infection, symptomatic disease and severe COVID-19 (hospitalisation and deaths) may differ both in the short and longer term. Comparison across studies is affected by the use of different assays with different test characteristics. Some studies indicate that the profile of antibody responses do not necessarily match those of cellular responses. Most of the data relates to the Pfizer-BNT162b2 vaccine.
Preliminary results from UK studies of real-world vaccine effectiveness (VE) in persons who are immunosuppressed suggest only a modest reduction in VE against symptomatic COVID-19, but confidence intervals are wide and overlap with VE estimates for persons who are not immunosuppressed.[footnote 1] ...