Covid booster with autoimmune disease AND bronchiectasis

Posted by pacathy @pacathy, Jun 9 12:02pm

I have an autoimmune skin condition that causes misery and lack of sleep, but isn't deadly. It has been flaring a few months. I responded to Xolair for a couple months, but it has lost effectiveness. My dose was just increased to bi-weekly.
I have mild bronchiectasis and have been stable for about 2 years.

If you have autoimmune disease and bronchiectasis, what is your doc's recommendation for boosters? My immunologist told me no booster until this settles because it's linked to flares, but she isn't very thorough and I doubt she remembered my bronchiectasis. I emailed her when Xolair quit working and again included a comment that I'd like to get booster due to bronchiectasis and she increased Xolair frequency, but ignored booster/bronchiectasis comment. My primary thinks Covid is a bigger risk and I should get booster soon. My pulmonologist saw me while I was responding to Xolair and we thought I could get booster soon. I'm feeling torn.

Are those of you with autoimmune issues getting your boosters? Did they cause flares to worsen?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.

pacathy | @pacathy | Jun 14 8:29am

In reply to @imequest "I’m still trying to figure out how to best take the three meds I’m on three..." + (show)

I'm concerned a lot of readers won't see this post about meds for MAC under my booster question. I see you have a good reply, but it's a pretty common topic here and people have used different approaches that you might find helpful.
Here's one discussion. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/treatment-for-mac/

If you use the looking glass icon at top of group page, it allows you to look for topic you need. If you don't get a recent post, it's fine to start a new one. Everyone is here to learn and share.

megangreen | @megangreen | Jun 16 5:58am

I have an Autoimmune condition, as well as, Bronchiectasis plus an autosomal recessive Adrenal Gland condition requiring continuous subcutaneous steroid infusions. I never questioned whether I would or wouldn’t have Covid-19 vaccines as the disease itself can be devastating.

Initial Covid-19 Vaccine I had was AstraZeneca (now Vaxzevria) and I had absolutely no reaction, either skin or systemic, at all. Covid-19 boosters I have had were Moderna (now Spikevax) and again no reaction at all. Not even a reddening around the injection site.

I did get Covid-19, a months after initial Covid vaccine and my biggest dread was that it would attack the lungs but the symptoms basically stayed in my head and throat. A couple of uncomfortable days but sailed through it.

It’s unknowable whether I would have fared worse if I had not had any vaccine cover but better to be safe than sorry.

The following is one way to think of the risk of will I or won’t I have the booster. Even one of the worst reactions people have had to vaccines, being Myocarditis, according to a *Meta-Analysis is significantly less prevalent than getting Myocarditis from Covid-19 virus ( >7 times). (If you are a male under 40 then you MAY want to weigh up the risk versus benefit of a Covid-19 vaccine a bit more carefully in regard to Myocarditis).

Reference * Myocarditis in SARS-CoV-2 infection vs. COVID-19 vaccination: A systematic review and meta-analysis - 2022.

pacathy | @pacathy | Jun 16 4:30pm

Thank you for your very reasonable and helpful response. I think the immunologist is just focused on preventing the misery of urticaria (like an allergic reactions every night) and both Covid disease and the vaccine trigger it. However, as PMD said, they really don't want me to get Covid and I don't want it either.
I've decided I'll get one more Xolair at the increased frequency and get booster day 8 afterward when it's at peak effectiveness.