Transplant: No or Few Antibodies after COVID Vaccination

I tested negative for antibodies after my first two Pfizer vaccines. I had the J&J vaccine for my third shot and had antibodies ">2,500" I'm still masking up and avoiding crowds but it sure feels good to know that I finally have some antibodies.

@diana61 How wonderful! Congratulations on your antibodies!!
Are you a transplant patient? I am not sure if I am able to take the J&J vaccine since I am a kidney transplant patient. I did hear of one of the transplant patients on the news taking J&J as their booster and they got antibodies from it too! Has anyone talked to their transplant team about the possibility of using J&J as a booster instead of Moderna or Pfizer?

Interesting that you had Pfizer vaccinations and you are on Mycophenolate. I remember listening to the John Hopkins webinar and they said that certain variables contributed to more or less antibodies developing. I figured since I am 62, just one year out from my transplant, on Mycophenolate, and had both Pfizer vaccinations I wouldn’t be likely to develop any. So, good to know that you did.

Hi @athenalee ! Great to see you in this discussion! 🙂 Have you seen any info regarding transplant patients taking the J&J vaccine? (As you know, I am on the exact same medication as you and I am one year out from transplant too).... Do you know if J&J is a possibility for us too?

Hey @hello1234, hope you’re doing well. My transplant team said we should get a booster only by the same manufacturer as our original shots.

I wasn't invited into T and B cell part of study. Hopefully we are entering a phase where we will learn more about T and B cells and what number of antibodies gives us protection.

Thank you so much @zon for letting me know. Yes, I agree with you that they are learning more and more each day! I am hopeful that Pfizer's new antiviral pill that is in Phase I trial may be the answer out of this pandemic, along with the vaccines. If there is a successful antiviral treatment available, it would definitely make this whole thing a lot less scary. Thank you again for all your great information!

I had a liver transplant in 2016. I had my J&J vaccine before the recommendation came out to stick with the same vaccine as the first two. I based my decision on what this liver transplant doctor and himself a patient did. Watch the video for more info. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABijrAwUv_c&t=249s

@diana61 I had seen that video also and something else made me think a J&J would be a good option but my transplant team said to try to get the same for a booster and if that was not available to get the other of the two-dose vaccines. I had Pfizer for all three shots.

I am wondering too how much which immunosuppressant you are on affects the antibody result. I am a liver transplant patient but take sirolimus due to tacrolimus causing kidney problems. My transplant team would not order a lab test for antibodies so my PCP did. I think I will ask her to do that again.
JK

@hello1234
Here is an article about a JH study comparing mRNA and J&J response in tx patients from Aug 2021
https://journals.lww.com/transplantjournal/Fulltext/2021/08000/Antibody_Response_to_the_Janssen_COVID_19_Vaccine.35.aspx
In this very small study J&J evoked much less response. (Need to clarify if this was an initial dose or a third, following two mRNA doses?)
It is encouraging, though, that @diana61 had a robust response to J&J as a third vaccine! As did the transplant doctor/patient in the video.
I'm in the JH study and had a third dose of Moderna, which again produced NO antibodies 🙁
I live in Gainesville FL and am having to be more cautious than ever with the high rates of infection and lack of masking by many.