Immunogenicity of repeat COVID-19 mRNA vaccinations in a patient with myasthenia gravis receiving mycophenolate, prednisone, and eculizumab

Vaccination can prevent infection and disease due to SARS-CoV-2. Early reports indicate that immune suppressed or immune compromised populations have reduced immune responses to US emergency use authorized (EUA) vaccines. Patients with autoimmune disorders are at risk for severe COVID-19, and are frequently immune suppressed related to therapy, the underlying disease, or both. Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by antibodies that interrupt neuromuscular transmission. Chronic immune suppressive therapy is typically required. We report the case of a 74 year old woman with MG receiving mycophenolate, prednisone, and eculizumab in whom mRNA vaccination failed to elicit detectable circulating vaccine-specific IgG or IFN-γ T cell responses. Eculizumab was discontinued, and repeat vaccination with two doses of an alternative EUA mRNA vaccine led to circulating IgG specific for the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, and to detectable S-specific T cell responses. While it is not known if these responses will protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection or disease, a repeat course of mRNA vaccination appears to be safe and was broadly immunogenic in this individual.
Highlights • T and B cell immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine reduced in an immune suppressed patient. • Repeat vaccination course with an alternative mRNA vaccine led to detectable, specific T and B cell responses. • Persons with autoimmune disease receiving immune suppression may benefit from additional doses of vaccine.