COVID-19 vaccines may not offer complete protection for people with compromised immune systems

Immunocompromised people should still get vaccinated against COVID-19.

If you have a weakened immune system, the COVID-19 vaccines may have a reduced effectiveness for you. Experts say it's still very important for you and those around you to get vaccinated, but it may be necessary for those with compromised immune systems to take extra precautions after vaccination. "We are aware that this population may not have the same beneficial response to vaccines that we see in others who are not immunosuppressed," Dr. Linda Finn, the director of hematology and bone marrow transplant at Ochsner Health, told ABC News. "We do still recommend the vaccines, any benefit they can borrow from it, but still follow other precautions very closely." Although clinical trials found vaccines were highly effective in preventing symptomatic or severe COVID-19 infections, these trials largely excluded people who were immunocompromised. That means these estimates may not apply to people with weakened immune systems, such as people with cancer or HIV.