COVID-19 VACCINES AND RITUXIMAB

Having been terrified of having a vaccine to illicit an inflammatory response, I did much research and had to base my decision on the best information I had and could find,  and trust the advice of my amazing Acute Medical Consultant and a Professor, a virologist from Reading.  I didn’t want the vaccine for fear of having my diseases flare to a point where I would have to go back on steroids or worse.

However, I had to make a choice.

Possible COVID-19 or vaccine.

My consultant, virologist, GPs, Lupus UK, Versus Arthritis etc etc etc were probably sick to death of me constantly asking questions, literally questioning everything.  I had and have so much to say but now is not the time.  Hundreds of emails and phone calls.

I had my 6 monthly biologics on 1st and 15th December 2020.

I had my 1st AstraZeneca vaccine on 6th Feb 2020.  

I then had 2 incorrect antibody blood tests done and eventually the correct blood test done after throwing my toys out of the pram, the specific S-protein antibody blood test, which was sent to PHE Porton Down. This was taken on 8th April before my second AZ vaccine.

I then had a 2nd AZ vaccine on 8th April 2020 and became very ill after this vaccine with temps so high I thought I was going to spontaneously combust.

The S-protein blood test came back 12 days later NEGATIVE.  I had not made antibodies to the spike protein. 

I had the specific S-protein antibody blood test AGAIN on 6 May 2020 which was sent to PHE Porton Down.

This also came back NEGATIVE.

2 vaccines and Porton Down telling me that I have had no response to the vaccines.

I have written to so many people to get information out to Rituximab patients as this is a specific problem with this one particular biologic… but no-one will give me a platform.  They know that there is a problem, but no-one is being told.

PHE Porton Down say my negative results are due to the Rituximab infusions.  They have suggested my biologics are stopped.  Well, they aren’t me and I need the biologics to maintain any sort of life.  My consultant agrees.

I am now going to have a Pfizer vaccine as soon as they arrive at the surgery, another Pfizer vaccine 3-4 weeks later, then the Spike protein antibody test 4 weeks after my 4th vaccine.  No matter the result, I will then have to have my biologics if I get that far.

So, I don’t reckon that anyone who may read this knows of any person in the world who has had, will have, 4 vaccines in the space of 5 months.  No-one, not one single person seems to have any knowledge of whether this will work, it has not been trialled… so I’m just writing this in case it all goes horribly wrong.  

It is unlikely that any booster vaccines in the Autumn and onwards will work if I remain on biologics so who knows what will happen in the future!