SAN ANTONIO – Church Watkins, an 84-year-old retired Air Force colonel and successful businessman, said he’s had second thoughts about taking his family to Hawaii this Christmas.
“I’m not too sure about that anymore, since I found out that I’m not fully benefiting from the (COVID-19) vaccination,” Watkins said.
Watkins, who had a kidney transplant three years ago at Methodist Hospital Specialty and Transplant, is among other transplant recipients who are still vulnerable to COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated.
His transplant surgeon and the director of the hospital’s abdominal transplant program, Dr. Adam Bingaman said, “The immune suppression medicines are preventing an immune response that’s going to protect all of our folks.”
Watkins said he takes 14 different medications daily to keep his body from rejecting the kidney donated by his wife who was the perfect match to be a living donor.
Bingaman said studies show about half of vaccinated transplant recipients on immune suppression medications “don’t seem to be forming significant antibody responses.”
He said the initial study saw only a 19% antibody response after the first shot, 54% after the second shot.
“I’m a glass half-full kind of guy,” Bingaman said. “That’s great. That’s 54%, more than zero.”
But Bingaman said, how much protection they’re getting isn’t yet known.
”How protected folks are going to be moving forward, we’re really not certain, and studies are ongoing to look at that,” he said.
Until more is known, Bingaman said transplant recipients as well as anyone else on medications to control their immune system, need to be aware.
“Don’t assume that you are perfectly safe and immune from this virus after the vaccination,” he said.
Bingaman said doctors know that immune suppression also can limit the efficacy of the flu vaccine and other vaccines.
Even so, Bingaman said, “Any level of protection is better than no level of protection.”
Watkins said he agrees with his surgeon. He has no regrets about being vaccinated last February.
“I’m glad I got it. I’d do it again,” Watkins said.
Watkins also said he will continue to wear masks and keep a safe distance from others especially in crowds or among strangers.
“Because I love life,” Watkins said.
Related Stories: