Thread by @drlennardlee

1/x ***New Research***. 🧵Relevant to the #immunocompromised with @bloodcancer_uk + #forgotten500k campaign. By a trusted lab in New York- Greenberger lab. Looking at immune responses to COVID vaccination. It is my new fav journal due to their colours! aacrjournals.org/bloodcancerdis…

2/x. It was done as many blood cancer🩸patients have no detectable immune response following coronavirus vaccination 💉. It is accepted that if you don’t respond to a vaccination, you aren’t as well protected from COVID-19. This answers the counter-argument- is this okay?

3/x. In 505 patients with B-cell malignancies, in a real world setting. This is a new form of study scientists use nowadays (vs a randomised study-RCT, where 50% of people get a sugar injection). RCT are generally not thought to be acceptable. They looked at patient's blood.

4/x. It looked at T-cells, as maybe if you don’t have an antibody response, you might have T-cells. After all, there’s two parts of immunity. (GCSE biology- 😀or maybe☹️) So if you haven’t got coronavirus vaccine antibodies, you might have a T-cell response giving protection.

5/x They found that after dose 2, 45% of those with no antibody responses had anti-spike T cells. 55% did not. And after dose 3, only 22% had good antibodies and only 40% had detectable responses. Figure below. No T-cell immunity is not ideal.

6/x To summararise, we can’t say that all blood cancer patients have good levels of protection from vaccination. They says this 🗣️👇. The most eminent global scientist/teams repeat call for more protection for the #immunocompromised, flagging ***prevention*** and ***antibodies***

7/x Why does this matter? There are half a million immunocompromised people in the UK. Many are still shielding, still in isolation, still unable to work, see friends or hug loved ones. They are #forgotten500k, unheard and calling on us to notice.

8/x. In the UK, the 4th wave has seemingly started. For the population who have responded to the vaccination, it will probably be mild. But for those who haven’t, and have 2020 levels of protection, this is not guaranteed. Thanks @timspector

@timspector 9/x. It is good to see patient advocacy & democracy spring into action. Representatives from #forgotten500k are writing to MPs. Only this week, 7 questions were asked in parliament of DHSC about why they are not protecting the #forgotten500 sooner, but waiting till 2023.

@timspector 10/x. We know that DHSC has incredible civil servants. We clearly have the best talent there to make it happen if prioritised. From my time there, they are the very best of the public sector. 🏛️🦸‍♂️🦸‍♀️🦸

11/x We have heard this week, that the stream of letters to DHSC is now increasing with further letters from incredible societies like British Society of Immunology and the UK drug safety research Unit. 📧💌📩📨

12/x 32 countries are delivering additional levels of protection this winter to protect immunocompromised patients who have not responded to the coronavirus vaccine, using new therapies, not available in the UK- prophylactic antibody therapies.

13/x Prophylactic antibody therapies like #evusheld give back an “immune” system to those who are immunocompromised. It is given in a similar way to a vaccine and it prevents infections. Studies from Israel/France/US show it is working well, even against omicron. @TomChivers

14/x Thanks to patients, clinicians @AlexRichter3 @ProfBMT + myself as champions, the clinical community has also sprung into action. Patients, 125 clinicians from 17 medical specialities & 4 nations are bringing online professional organisations/charities for a call to action.

15/x No one is sure if DHSC will offer protection or consider a pilot to protect #immunocompromised patients with #evusheld this Winter. Budgets might be an issue. However, patient power has seemingly swung into action. They are asking in mass about what they need.

16/x. It is good to see ongoing universal unwaivering support from clinicians/charities/researchers & patient groups. My thoughts are with our #immunocompromised patients. Thousands of people are backing their #forgotten500k campaign for prophylactic antibody therapies. #evusheld