Efficacy and safety of Sinovac vaccine administered in patients undergoing hemodialysis

COVID-19 disease is more serious and fatal in patients on dialysis treatment due to their immunosuppressive status. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the protection and safety of Sinovac vaccine, which is an inactivated vaccine, in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

A control group consisting of 220 hemodialysis patients (HD group) and 648 healthcare professionals who were healthy in our institution were included in the study. Quant II IgG anti-Spike antibody was measured 3 weeks after two doses of Sinovac vaccine were administered to both groups.

The antibody response after two doses of Sinovac vaccine was 85.2% in the HD group and 99.8% in the control group. The mean antibody level before vaccination in the HD group was 3.5 ± 7.2 AU/mL and increased significantly 3 weeks after two doses of vaccine (mean 751 ± 1196 AU/mL). The control group's mean antibody level after vaccination was 1723 ± 1878 AU/mL. The mean antibody level after vaccination in the control group was significantly higher than the HD group (p < 0.0001). Despite higher levels of anti-Spike antibodies in the control group, post-vaccination antibody response was acceptable in both HD and control groups. The HD group was significantly older (mean 64 ± 12 years) than the control group (36 ± 10 years) (p < 0.0001).

Although dialysis patients are immunocompromised, and some may not develop antibodies to the virus as strongly as healthy people, this study revealed that dialysis patients developed significant amounts of antibodies. Being old or on dialysis is an independent predictor of low antibody response to the Sinovac vaccine.