COVID-19 Vaccine in Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) Patients

It is the APS Foundation of America, Inc Medical Advisors recommendation that every APS patient should get vaccinated for COVID-19.  The potential negative health effects of COVID-19 infection are much worse than the extremely rare possible serious side effects of the vaccine (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/expect/after.html).

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.  Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history. The Johns Hopkins website shows that as of today (roughly 9 months after COVID-19 vaccinations started) over 8.9 billion COVID vaccine doses worldwide have been administered. The data accumulated in such a short time is unprecedented. For comparison, the Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine was licensed in 1971 and by 2001 there had been 500 million doses given.

While we understand that you are concerned about clotting with the COVID-19 vaccine, the blood clot risk is extremely rare; and there are no data to support that APS patients are at higher risk for vaccine-related blood clots compared to general population. Furthermore, many APS patients are already on blood thinners.

We encourage you to read the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Guidance Summary for Patients with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases published by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) at https://www.rheumatology.org/Portals/0/Files/COVID-19-Vaccine-Clinical-Guidance-Rheumatic-Diseases-Summary.pdf  as well as the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) View-points on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with Rheumatic Musculoskeletal Diseases (RMDs) at https://www.eular.org/eular_sars_cov_2_vaccination_rmd_patients.cfm.

As always, we suggest you discuss this with your personal health care team.

In health,

Doruk Erkan, MD, MPH

Jason Knight, MD, PhD

Keith McCrae, MD

Barry Myones, MD

Tom Ortel, MD, PhD

Christopher Repetsky, MD

Michael Lockshin, MD

Robert A S Roubey, MD

 

Our Mission

Founded in 2005, the APS Foundation of America, Inc. is dedicated to fostering and facilitating joint efforts in the areas of education, public awareness, research, and patient services for Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) in an effective and ethical manner.

Contact

APS Foundation of America, Inc.
P. O. Box 801
LaCrosse, WI 54602-0801

DISCLAIMER: APS Foundation of America, Inc. website is not intended to replace standard doctor-patient visits, physical examination, and medical testing. Information given to members is only an opinion. All information should be confirmed with your personal doctor. Always seek the advice of a trained physician in person before seeking any new treatment regarding your medical diagnosis or condition. Any information received from APS Foundation of America, Inc. website is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure. This site is for informational purposes only. Please note that we will be listing all donor or purchaser's names on the Donor page of our foundation site. If you do not want your name listed, please contact us to opt out. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.