This video comes from the Jewish medical community and there are several but this one is about Autoimmunity issues and COVID and vaccinations. I intend to listen to this...have n't yet.
@Rufous McKinney I watched the video and took seven pages of notes! It brought up lots of questions for me and I intend to research the various COVID vaccine options in great detail and discuss them w/my doctor in the future. As of now, I do not think a COVID vaccine would be safe for my individual medical situation (but I am NOT an anti-vaxxer and my decision is purely medical and not political).
I will summarize the video here (from my understanding as a non-scientist
)...
The video was moderated by "Marc Krause" and he interviewed two professors, John Kappler & Philippa Marrack (who are both PhD's in immunology at National Jewish Health in Denver, CO, and are married to each other). The video explained some basics re: immunology, re: autoimmunity (with a focus on Type 1 Diabetes), re: COVID-19, re: various COVID treatments, and re: the upcoming COVID vaccines.
It explained about B-cells and T-cells and how (in a functioning immune system) they fight antigens/foreign invaders like viruses, bacteria, toxins, etc. Then they explained about cases where the immune system is not working properly and after the virus is gone, it goes on causing damage to the host including excess inflammation, allergies, and autoimmunity (which all occurred in my personal situation
).
Next they did an entire segment on Type 1 Diabetes (and I skipped this part b/c it didn't pertain to me) but wanted to mention it in case it is relevant to anyone else reading this.
Then they talked about a special kind of B-cell that they discovered in both mice and humans (usually females) who have autoimmunity including RA, Lupus, Scleroderma, Sarcoidosis, Sjogrens, Crohns, MS, Hashimotos, Myasthenia Gravis, Type 1 Diabetes, and many other autoimmune diseases. They called it "ABC cells" or "Autoimmune B-cells". They said at present, there are no drugs that target ABC cells (but they mentioned later in the video that Rituximab has been successful in many cases). They were not sure, however, if this was because Rituximab specifically targets and destroys ABC cells or because Rituximab destroys ALL B-cells. This part was very interesting to me (separate from my research on the COVID vaccines) b/c Rituximab is what brought about my personal remission.
They pondered in the video if ABC cells (Autoimmune B-cells) might also be doing something useful and protective against viruses and they felt that the answer was yes. They said that women with these ABC cells tended to create a bigger immune response to a virus (like in COVID) and why men are more often likely to have severe cases of COVID (but this is of course a generalization).
They talked about what is known about COVID by scientists at this point which includes: the sequence, the process of how it infects cells, who is most likely to get a serious infection, various immune responses including Cytokine Storm, methods of transmission, several meds that can alleviate symptoms, and several vaccines still in clinical trials.
Then they talked about several different COVID treatment options: Remdesivir, Convalescent Plasma, Monoclonal Antibodies like Regeneron, and Dexamthasone.
Then they finally started to talk about the vaccines
...
They said that there are several types of vaccines in clinical trial. The first type is "RNA based" and includes Pfizer and Moderna. The next three are "Adenovirus vector based" and includes Astra Zeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Merck. The next three are "protein based or conventional vaccines" and includes Norovax, Glaxo Smith Kline, and Sanofi. Lastly, they mentioned a Russian vaccine by Gamaleya which is also "adenovirus vector based", and a Chinese vaccine by SinoVac which is "inactivated SARS-COV-2" or another traditional vaccine.
If anyone reading this understands the different types of vaccines that the video mentioned, can you please explain it to me
? They did not explain the pros & cons of the different types of vaccines. The only thing they said is that the two RNA vaccines (Pfizer & Moderna) is a brand new type of vaccine that is able to be created and produced much faster (but it didn't seem that they were saying that it was better or worse than traditional vaccines... just faster to develop).
Then the moderator did a Q&A with the audience (which was pre-recorded).
There were many questions but the one that I am researching was if the COVID vaccines are safe for people with known autoimmune disease (like myself).
Sadly, there was no clear answer and the professors said that "No one knows the answer yet re: which type of COVID vaccines are best or even suitable in autoimmunity because no one with autoimmunity was included in the COVID vaccine trials".
They said that there may be data on this within the next year. They said that the same was the case for people with immune deficiencies b/c no one who was immuno-compromised was included in the vaccine trials (just healthy people with normal immune systems).
Another question was asked re: if people with autoimmune disease should wait until more data is available on the vaccines re: autoimmunity (even after the vaccines are FDA approved in the US). The professors did not give a clear answer and said that "each individual should discuss with their own doctor re: their individual disease and risk factors, etc".
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So... I have a lot more research to do and at present, I will NOT be getting a COVID vaccine (once it is available in the US) because I absolutely do not feel that it is safe for me. My immune system is not normal and my illness remains in remission from (prior) IVIG & Rituximab. I have not had to use a wheelchair in 2.5 years and I can now go for an hour walk at a decent pace, including uphill, with no ill effects. I am fully independent within my home and do not require any assistance. My muscle strength and breathing are now completely normal and my POTS & MCAS remain in remission. I am not cured, I still take 6-7 meds, and still have endocrine problems. My attempts to taper off different meds were disasters so (at this point) I expect to be on them for life.
My personal fear of the COVID vaccine is that it could re-trigger my autoimmunity, dysautonomia & POTS, and my neuromuscular & breathing weakness (not to mention potential anaphylaxis to adjuvants in the vaccine
). I plan to rigorously research the different types of COVID vaccines and ask detailed questions in other on-line medical groups where I used to participate including groups on MCAS, LEMS, and calcium channel auto-antibodies (which are at the core of my personal illness).
I am also concerned that the mechanism that caused my muscle weakness is similar enough to the mechanism that causes Guillain Barre from the flu shot. I have never had a flu shot, and I do not know how similar it is to a COVID vaccine but (I think?) that both influenza viruses and coronaviruses are "RNA viruses" so I would assume that the vaccines are similar?
I am hoping that someone reading this who understands the science better than I do can explain any of the issues or questions that I asked here. I hope this summary was helpful and thank you again
@Rufous McKinney for posting that video and it was a great starting point for my research on the COVID vaccines.
