Is SARS-CoV-2 vaccination safe and effective for elderly individuals with neurodegenerative diseases?

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a substantial threat to the lives of the elderly, especially those with neurodegenerative diseases, and vaccination against viral infections is recognized as an effective measure to reduce mortality. However, elderly patients with neurodegenerative diseases often suffer from abnormal immune function and take multiple medications, which may complicate the role of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines. Currently, there is no expert consensus on whether SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are suitable for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

Areas covered

We searched Pubmed to conduct a systematic review of published studies, case reports, reviews, meta-analyses, and expert guidelines on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on neurodegenerative diseases and the latest developments in COVID-19 vaccines. We also summarized the interaction between vaccines and age-related neurodegenerative diseases. The compatibility of future SARS-CoV-2 vaccines with neurodegenerative diseases is discussed.

Expert opinion

Vaccines enable the body to produce immunity by activating the body’s immune response. The pathogenesis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases is complex, and these diseases often involve abnormal immune function, which can substantially affect the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. In short, this article provides recommendations for the use of vaccine candidates in patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

KEYWORDS:

• SARS-cov-2
• neurodegenerative diseases
• vaccine
• covid-19
• elderly

Article highlights

• Neurodegenerative diseases may change the safety and effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

• Patients with neurodegenerative diseases are extremely susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, which aggravates neurological symptoms. SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are an effective measure to alleviate this phenomenon.

• Due to special conditions such as advanced age and abnormal immune function in patients with neurodegenerative diseases, the role of candidate vaccines has become extremely complicated.

• Most inactivated vaccines are safe for these patients, whereas other types of vaccines, including live attenuated vaccines, subunit vaccines, and nucleic acid vaccines, still require further clinical research.

• Due to immunosenescence and suppression of immune function, the effectiveness of most candidate vaccines in these patients may be reduced.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

A reviewer on this manuscript has disclosed that they receive grant funding from Merck & Co., Inc. for unrelated research. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no other relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Author contributions

Cunming Liu and Chun Yang devised the structure of the review. The manuscript was drafted by Yan Shi, and Yan Shi and Minna Guo reviewed the manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to submit the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81703482 and 81974171 to C.Y.) and the Science and Technology Support (Social Development) Project of Bureau of Science and Technology of Changzhou (No. CE20195044 to L.Y.).