Covid 19 Vaccines & IBD Q&A

Prof Charlie Lees, Dr Nick Powell, Dr Peter Irving, Prof Sebastian Shaji & IBD Nurse Specialist Lisa Younge answer your questions on Covid-19 vaccines and IBD. Filmed on 8 December 2020.

Supported by Merck Sharp & Dohme UK Limited.

[nikipether]

Thank you so much for all of your help and for taking the time to post this.

[wario]

Anything Different for someone on Remicade medication?

[lucyfleming]

Very informative, however, I’m still unsure mainly because you urge IBD patients to have the vaccine, but openly use phrases such as it’s ‘likely’ to be safe, but ‘there is no data at present’ and ‘currently it has not been tested on IBD patients’ and ‘it is not known if it will cause a flare’. Similarly, ‘it is unknown whether it would be 30% less effective in immunosuppressed patients’. In conclusion you strongly recommend a vaccine with no studies in IBD patients and simply taking evidence from how other vaccines, been in circulation for many years, perform. I’m currently shielding in the extremely vulnerable category. I work for the NHS who are currently vaccinating all staff. I feel very pressured to have a vaccine not trialled in IBD specifically, a vaccine you say is safe and should go ahead and have despite lack of concrete evidence in IBD. Chances are it is absolutely fine, but your video contains a lot of ‘don’t knows’, ‘no evidence’, ‘likely to be’ and ‘not tested’. I suppose my biggest fear is triggering a flare when I’m currently well. There is no evidence this won’t happen. 🤷‍♀️

Update: Went ahead and had first and second Pfizer Vaccine and in my case absolutely fine with no flare, just the known side effects of sore arm, headache and tiredness. Of course I don’t know how effective it is when immunosuppressed at this stage.

[taylorandtang]

Thanks for the info.... Getting mine on Thursday and was worried about symptoms of having chrons

[helenwalsh-patient]

Thanks v much for making this video available :-)

[VIOLETheavenBeenMyHandle]

I’ve had very intense flares for weeks now . Started day 3-4 after 1st dose. Eased Day 12. Second dose - 3 days later. Again and going on day 9. I can’t wait for it to stop

[bethl]

Thank you so much for this! I’m in the US, but am very grateful to have this information.

[christelleneedham]

Great information. Very well presented and informative.

[ailiekeith]

Thank you for this video. Is anyone pooling information on vaccine responses for IBD patients? My son has a flare of Crohns and had his first vaccination for Covid yesterday. It was the Astra Zeneca vaccine. Since then (about 36 hours) he's had a temperature of 38.2-4, with shivers, feeling sick and unable to eat much. He's had paracetamol which has successfully brought down his temperature. But it wears off. He's had this vaccine prior to going onto biologics. It makes me nervous to think what his reaction will be after the second dose and with a suppressed immune system.

[titch]

Thank you so much for the time you all put into this video, it did help. I came across it as I was looking for information regarding immune suppressants. I am on immune suppressants and have ulcerative colitis and am a little worried about the vaccine because of this. I realise if I can have the vaccine I should but that does not stop me being concerned regarding the immune suppressants and I would be more confident if there were more known regarding this particular subject. As I said I will have the vaccine if offered but I know and had decided very early on that I will still shield even after having the vaccine. I decide this as the vaccine may not be effective enough for me at this time, in time once a lot more people have had the vaccine and the R rate goes very low I will be more confident to return to some sort of normality. Because of Shielding I feel others should have the vaccine before me eg doctors, nurses, paramedics, police, teachers and all other key workers. They are doing an amazing job and are on the front line. Also more will be known regarding the vaccine as time goes on. I would rather live shielding for sometime to come than not live at all, I know this is not possible for everyone though. Ps I joined ‘Crohns and Colitis UK’ on the back of this video, Thank you. I see it was done in December can we have an update video at some point if possible. I’m not on FB.

[hujands]

There doesn't seem to be much audience for this but thank you. Has put my mind to rest.

[helenannhadfield]

Co-morbidity - I have Crohns and asthma as well. Should I apply to be on the priority list for the vaccine?

[akashsharmakarnal]

thanks for the information. is it safe to be vaccinated even if i am having ulcerative colits as its also known to be auto immune desease. i wish scientists and doctors would be able to find a permanent cute for ulc. colitis too like they are trying to find for corona . suggest me some medicine those could cure it permanently. or still its having the same remedy ie melasamine, prednissolne followed by surgery .

[jessicastanforth-sheher]

10 years without a flare. Got my second Moderna jab last week, and started having flare symptoms within 72 hours. Coincidence? Possibly. Correlation? Seems so. Causation? Maybe.

[nicstimetotalk]

Great Video, thanks. Wish I had seen it live I would have liked to ask given I'm having the Covid jab in a week should I stop taking or reduce my aziathioprine to get a better immune response.

[darkpoet]

Thanks a lot for this good informative talk!

[zackgoddard]

What’s people thoughts on VaxArt oral version of the Covid vaccine?

Also what are peoples thoughts on the amount of deaths and receivers of the mainly Pfizer vaccine which has stopped people’s ability to carry out day to day activities?

Charley how have you been feeling after the vaccine? Any side effects?

[jacquelineburroughs]

Lots of questions answered the future looks good.