Around 25 per cent of the world’s population has intestinal parasite infections – these could hinder the effectiveness of covid-19 vaccines, according to research in mice
have impaired immune responses to some vaccines, such as those for tuberculosis or measles. This is because the parasites suppress processes that vaccines trigger to confer immunity, such as the activation of pathogen-killing cells. Intestinal parasite infections are most prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions and often occur due to limited access to clean water and sanitation., half of which had been infected 12 days before with an intestinal parasite that only occurs in rodents.
About two weeks after the booster dose, the researchers analysed the animals’ spleens to measure the concentrations of CD8+ T cells – a special type of white blood cell important for clearing other cells infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. On average, the spleens of mice with intestinal parasites had roughly half the number of these cells as those without parasites, suggesting an impaired immune response to the vaccine.
The researchers repeated this vaccine process in a separate group of 20 mice – half of which had been infected with intestinal parasites – and exposed them to a highly infectiousof the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Five days later, vaccinated rodents with intestinal parasites had about 20 per cent more of the virus in their lungs, on average, than those without them.Together, these findings indicate that intestinal parasites may reduce the efficacy of covid-19 vaccines in people.
Still, it is important to understand how parasitic infections alter immune responses to vaccination given their prevalence, and these findings suggest researchers may want to further evaluate vaccine efficacy in areas of the world where a high proportion of the population has intestinal parasites, says Fairfax.
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