RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Vaccinated Young Adult Sera A Cost-effective approach for protection and treatment of COVID-19 In some groups, like kidney transplant recipients, the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines has been questioned. The sera of COVID-19 vaccinated young individuals are most likely a feasible method for illness prevention and early treatment in such patients. To assess the risk/ benefit ratio, clinical studies should be conducted. Ahmed S Ali, Department of Pharmacology; Faculty of Medicine King Abdulaziz University Abdelbagi Alfadil, Microbiology and Medical Parasitology Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University
Low efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines in special populations
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a worldwide pandemic caused by SARSCoV-2, a highly contagious respiratory
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P H A RM A F O C U S A S I A
ISSUE 45 - 2021
virus. As of the end of August 2021, more than 200 million cases have been recorded and led to more than 4 million deaths. Advanced age, diabetes mellitus, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, autoim-
mune diseases are among many other risk factors for developing severe COVID-19 infection as well as increased mortality rate. Several vaccines were developed and approved for global use with good efficacy and safety in the general population. However, there is a concern of reduced efficacy in the special population such as kidney transplant patients (KTP). Given the negative impact of immunosuppressive drugs on immune response, the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines is likely to be reduced in KTP patients. There have been some reports of KTP limited early antibody response upon receiving the vaccination. The majority of repurposed drugs for the management of COVID-19 exhibited limitations. Approximately 30 per cent of the possible COVID-19
