Exploring the Safety and Effects of COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Autoimmune Disease

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has quickly become the most significant public health phenomenon, effectively eclipsing the H1N1 and Ebola crises that came before it. It can spread rapidly and has caused the death and disability of many worldwide. Vaccines are our most effective line of defense against the rapidly spreading and mutating virion. Still, there is significant vaccine hesitancy among those with autoimmune conditions who fear the vaccine may cause them more harm than good. This scoping review explores the safety, outcomes, and effects of COVID-19 vaccines in autoimmune patients. Online databases; Pubmed, Ovid Medline, and Scopus were used to search published literature evaluating the effectiveness and side effects of COVID-19 vaccines in patients with autoimmune conditions. The search results were limited to 4 distinct autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, and myasthenia gravis). Thirty-seven studies were retrieved and assessed on the safety, effects, and outcomes of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with the chosen autoimmune conditions. Overall, the risk of flares and the development of severe side effects after vaccination was low. Most autoimmune patients showed a good antibody response to vaccination, especially after the second dose. This review provides a favorable impact of vaccination in patients with autoimmune conditions.