Your COVID immunity could wane faster if your BMI is high

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-05-12 01:00

International

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If you have a high BMI, your COVID-19 immunity might wane faster than someone with a normal BMI, according to international researchers. The team looked at 28 people with severe obesity (a BMI over 30) and 41 with a normal BMI (ranging between 18.5-24.9) and found 55% of those with severe obesity had unmeasurable levels of COVID-19 neutralising antibodies 6 months after their second COVID-19 jab, compared to 12% of those with normal BMI. Neutralising capacity was restored by a third dose of the vaccine, according to the team, but again declined more rapidly in people with severe obesity. The team also looked at the relationship between BMI, hospitalisation and mortality due to COVID-19 among 3.6 million people in Scotland using their COVID-19 surveillance platform, and found vaccinated people with severe obesity were 76% more likely to experience hospitalisation or death from COVID-19.