Millions of ‘protectors’ may be asked to stop treatment for two weeks after receiving booster injections –

If they are given a Covid booster vaccine this fall, hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Brits could be asked to stop using immunosuppressive drugs.

The researchers found that stopping methotrexate therapy for two weeks doubled the antibody response patients received from an additional injection. And the benefits lasted for three months.

Approximately 1.3 million people are prescribed medication in the UK, primarily patients with arthritis and eczema.

Many patients addicted to methotrexate have been asked to protect themselves in the first wave of the pandemic because the drug has made them more prone to becoming seriously ill.

Scientists at the University of Nottingham described their findings from a study of 250 adults as “outstanding”.

If accepted, it could theoretically mean that vulnerable patients have better and longer-lasting protection against Covid.

The results have already been submitted to the government’s vaccine advisory committee, which may recommend that ministers adopt this tactic this fall.

UK guidelines told doctors to continue treatment as normal during the first few rounds of vaccination. Guides in the United States said they took a break of up to a week.

Academics warned immunocompromised patients not to take any action without consulting their doctor first.

Half of the participants saw exacerbations in their condition after stopping methotrexate, although most were mild.

The study, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, involved 254 volunteers in England and Wales from 30 September 2021 to 3 March this year.

All had received at least two doses of the Covid vaccine and had been on methotrexate for at least three months.

Only people with conditions safe enough to stop treatment, such as people with arthritis, eczema, and psoriasis, were included; this is a condition that causes patches of scaly skin that form scales.

The researchers divided all the participants into two groups of 127 people. Half of the treatment was interrupted for two weeks, while the others continued as usual.

The change was made immediately after receiving the booster, and doctors took blood samples to measure their Covid antibody levels.

They took samples over four weeks and 12 weeks to monitor how levels changed over time.

Volunteers whose treatment was stopped had 2.19 times the amount of virus-fighting protein after four weeks, compared to those who continued normally.

The effect persists after 12 weeks, with levels still 2.11 times higher.

Experts said that the drug only needs to be discontinued for two weeks, as the immune response occurs in the first 10 days after the injection.

After the vaccine is injected, the body recognizes the virus spike protein and begins to produce antibodies.

These bind to the virus when it enters the body in the future and prevent it from entering cells and making people sick.

The study suggested that once antibodies are produced, patients can safely return to their medication without their levels falling too low.

Co-author Professor Rosemary Boyton, an immunologist at Imperial College London, said the key differences could mean that immunocompromised people are safe from Covid for much longer if they stop their treatment for a short time.

During a briefing to reporters, he said: “The most remarkable thing is the constant response.

“I was really happy to see continued response after 12 weeks.

“If there is a slower decline, that’s a very encouraging result for patients.”

Professor Boyton added: “These people need as much push as possible. I think this is a very important phenomenon.

“The purpose of this research is to show how we can strengthen the upgrade so that they are at the level of security they will be protected from when they encounter the virus.”

People at risk for severe flare-ups should continue to take medication even if they’re on medication because the relative benefits of the break aren’t worth it, the researchers said.

Lead author Professor Abhishek Abhishek, a rheumatologist at the University of Nottingham, said: “The great thing about this study is that it’s easy to implement the change people can make at home.

“But the most important thing is that no one does it” [on their own]† They can consult their specialists and family doctors to find out what is best for them.

“If they have a disease where the flare-up is severe after they stop treatment, it’s best they don’t stop treatment.”

“If people don’t stop treatment, they still benefit from the Covid vaccine with a strong immune response.”