Kaitlyn D’Onofrio

DocwireNews

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/underlying-conditions.html">issued guidance over the weekend</a> regarding messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines in patients with underlying medical conditions. According to the CDC, &ldquo;mRNA COVID-19 vaccines may be administered to people with underlying medical conditions provided they have not had a severe allergic reaction to any of the ingredients in the vaccine.&rdquo;The two vaccines currently approved for use in the United States are the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, with <a href="https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine">Pfizer&rsquo;s</a> approved on Dec. 11 and <a href="https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/moderna-covid-19-vaccine">Moderna&rsquo;s</a> receiving approval just one week later. Both vaccines use mRNA. (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/health/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine.html">Here&rsquo;s a full explanation of how the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine works.</a>) They have both also generated a lot of buzz&mdash;excitement in the scientific community, and caution or hesitancy among patients&mdash;as they are the first mRNA vaccines to receive FDA approval for any disease, leaving many questions yet to be answered as further research is awaited.People with autoimmune diseases&mdash;including rheumatic diseases&mdash;have been a population of both interest and concern amid the COVID-19 pandemic.While the CDC states that patients with autoimmune diseases are eligible to receive the mRNA vaccine, &ldquo;they should be aware that no data are currently available on the safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for them.&rdquo; They also noted, &ldquo;Individuals from this group were eligible for enrollment in clinical trials.&rdquo;DocWire News recently interviewed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aaacentermd.com/about/leadership/dr-domingues">Vinicius Domingues, MD</a>, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/rheumatology-picks/rheum-round-up-hydroxychloroquine-exposure-and-covid-19-risk-and-much-more/">rheumatologist</a>&nbsp;in Daytona Beach, Fla., and medical advisor to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.creakyjoints.org/">CreakyJoints</a>, to discuss what some of the top concerns have been among these patients as well as what information providers can give to these patients. (<a href="https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/rheumatology-picks/rheumatologist-dr-domingues-discusses-vaccine-concerns-among-immunocompromised-patients-that-providers-should-be-aware-of/">Click here to read Dr. Domingues&rsquo; full interview</a>.)Much still remains to be learned about the vaccines, Dr. Domingues shared, but when it comes to educating immunocompromised patients on the COVID-19 vaccines, he said the best thing to do is be transparent.&ldquo;We do need to acknowledge that we do not have long-term safety with either vaccine&mdash;we don&rsquo;t, we simply don&rsquo;t. However, the short-term safety evidence appears to be very safe. And the only way we can finish this pandemic is if everybody does it. So obviously, the frontline [workers], the healthcare providers, and the nursing home [staff and residents] are already being vaccinated. I think the way for us to agitate it is transparency, and be very skeptical about who you listen and who you re-trump, because there will be a lot of misinformation out there,&rdquo; he explained.

Brandon Twyford

DESTINY-Breast09 Demonstrates First-Line Superiority of Enhertu Plus Pertuzumab in HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer

HER2 Breast Cancer

Trodelvy Plus Keytruda Significantly Improves Progression-Free Survival in PD-L1+ mTNBC, Phase III Data Show

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Jordana Jampel

Actress Michelle Trachtenberg's Premature Death From Diabetes Reveals Dangers of Chronic Complications

Diabetes

Latest News

CDC Weighs In on COVID-19 Vaccine for Immunocompromised Patients

COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance over the weekend regarding messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines in patients with underlying medical ...

About Us

Editorial Policy

Advertising

Contact Us

eNewsletters

Contribute

Career Center

MashupMD

Blood Cancers Today

Cancer Nursing Today

GU Oncology Now

Urban Health Today

Bile Duct Cancer

Colorectal Cancer

Gastroesophageal Cancer

Gastric Cancer

GEP-NETs

GIST

Liver Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer

GI Oncology Now

Anemia

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Essential Thrombocythemia

Hemophilia

Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Myelofibrosis

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Polycythemia Vera

Pulmonary Embolism

Sickle Cell Disease

Thrombocytopenia

Thrombophilia

Thrombosis

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Venous Thromboembolism

von Willebrand Disease

Heme Today

Acute Kidney Injury

ADPKD

Anemia and Kidney Disease

Chronic Kidney Disease

COVID-19 and Kidney Disease

Diabetes and Hypertension

End-Stage Renal Disease

Gout

Hyperkalemia

IgAN

Kidney Transplantation

Metabolic Acidosis

Nephrology Times

HR Breast Cancer

Genetics & Breast Cancer

Breast Cancers Today

Atherosclerotic Disease

Atrial Fibrillation

Heart Failure

Hypertension

Interventional Cardiology

Lipid Management

Practice Tips With Dr. Lichaa

Preventive Cardiology

Stroke

Cardiology

Breast Cancer

Gynecologic Cancer

Head and Neck Cancer

Skin Cancer

Oncology

Sleep

Urology

Ophthalmology

— Demodex Blepharitis

Neurology

Rheumatology

Gastroenterology

Pulmonology

Infectious Diseases

— HIV

Health and Wellness

Lupus

Future of Medicine

Orthopedics

Pharmacology

Career News

More

Conferences

CardioNerds

The Sleep Source With Dr. Morse

Rheumatology Rounds With Dr. Maheswaranathan

Partners

Expert Interviews

Subscribe