Dr Oge Ilozue, GP Partner and Clinical Advisor, Vaccination Programme London region answers questions and shares trusted information about the Spring COVID-19 vaccination and why it is important for people with Lupus to get vaccinated this spring.

Why should people with Lupus have a COVID-19 vaccination this spring?

Lupus makes it harder for your body to fight off diseases, so you’re more likely to get a virus like COVID-19, and more likely to develop serious health problems if you do. 

Research led by Imperial College London showed that COVID still poses a substantial risk to people who have a weakened immune system. It also showed that the majority of immunosuppressed people produced antibodies after having more doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

There is evidence that repeated doses of the vaccination can offer better protection for people who are immunosuppressed. This is why people who are immunosuppressed are specifically invited to have booster vaccines.

Vaccination remains the best way to protect against serious illness and increase your antibodies.

Can the vaccine give me the virus?

No. The COVID-19 vaccine used by the NHS is ‘inactivated’, meaning it does not contain any of the live virus, so you ‘cannot catch the illness’ from having the vaccine. But what it does do is give you just enough to trigger your body's own immune response or defence mechanism to produce antibodies to the vaccine.

But the vaccine may take two weeks to be effective, so if you catch COVID-19 in that timeframe you may become ill. That is why we encourage people to have their vaccinations as soon as they can.

What about the side effects?

You might experience flu-like symptoms as a vaccinations side effect. But these are usually mild and show that your body is producing antibodies to protect itself.

More serious side effects such as a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) are very rare. The person who vaccinates you will be trained to deal with allergic reactions and treat them immediately.

There have been rare cases of inflammation of the heart (myocarditis) reported after COVID-19 vaccination. Most people who had this recovered following rest and simple treatments.

“Millions of people around the world have now received their COVID-19 vaccines which continue to show a strong safety profile with the health benefits greatly outweighing any risks.”

How do I know these vaccines are safe?

These vaccines have been rigorously tested, are constantly monitored and we know that the benefits of having the vaccinations far outweigh any risk.

Unprecedented scientific collaborations allowed COVID-19 vaccine research, development, trials and testing to be completed in record time and it is still monitored.

Evidence continues to show that COVID 19 vaccines are safe and effective for people with Lupus. But it’s completely understandable that people may have some concerns about whether it is safe or right for them to receive the vaccines.

“If you do have questions or concerns, I encourage you to speak to a trusted healthcare professional. This can be your GP, practice nurse, pharmacist, health visitor or consultant, all of whom can provide evidence-based information.”

Book online at nhs.uk/bookcovid or call 119 free of charge.