COVID-19 VACCINATION IN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES STUDY: VACCINE SAFETY IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
Abstract: 2084
Authors: Naveen R. et al
Key content:
The COVID-19 vaccination in autoimmune diseases (COVAD) study group has >110 collaborators across 94 countries. In the year 2021, COVAD captured vaccination-related AEs self-reported events in patients with SLE, other rheumatic and non-rheumatic autoimmune diseases (nrAIDs), and healthy controls (HCs). 5.5% of the 9462 complete respondents were SLE patients.
Vaccination-related AE were reported by 83.0% of SLE patients (2.6% major AE). Patients with active and inactive SLE reported similar AE and hospitalization frequencies. Moderna recipients reported higher frequencies of body ache, fever, chills, and rashes. SLE patients on various DMARDs reported similar AE frequencies, except for less frequent chills reported by hydroxychloroquine users compared with non-users (OR 0.5). SLE patients reported similar overall AE and hospitalization frequencies when compared with AIRDs, nrAIDs, and HC, yet higher frequencies of rashes (OR 1.2) compared with HC, lower frequencies of chills (OR 0.6) compared with AIRDs and nrAIDs, and lower frequencies of fatigue (OR 0.6) compared with nrAIDs.
Relevance:
This study suggests that COVID vaccines are well-tolerated in SLE, regardless of SLE activity and background DMARDs. These findings are reassuring although vaccine safety with regards to the hypothetical risk of triggering SLE flares must still be analyzed.
