Cambridge BRC Vaccine Booster Survey

Summary

People with a weakened or impaired immune system have a much higher risk of infection and serious complications as well as death from COVID-19 than the general population. One of the major challenges such people face is that they are much less able to mount an adequate immune response to vaccines so remain at high-risk of infection. This means they are more likely to need alternative options, including additional vaccine boosters and antiviral treatment.

Using a mixture of surveys and interviews, we will undertake a patient and public involvement (PPI) exercise. It is designed to understand the specific challenges and needs people with weakened immunity face in relation to COVID-19 so that these issues can be addressed in the development of better prevention and treatment strategies for such people. The PPI project will include people over the age of 65, whose immunity is likely to impaired by ageing and who are more prone to conditions like kidney failure, diabetes, hypertension, and arthritis, which complicates their care. The project will also involve younger patients with compromised immunity due to underlying conditions like HIV/AIDS, liver or kidney disease, genetic disorders that affect the immune system or because they need immunosuppressant treatments, such as cancer patients and organ transplant recipients or for autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases.