A National Institutes of Health (NIH) study has determined vaccinated persons with substance use disorders are more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2.
“First and foremost, vaccination is highly effective for people with substance use disorders, and the overall risk of COVID-19 among vaccinated people with substance use disorders is very low,” National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow and one of the study’s lead authors, said. “We must continue to encourage and facilitate COVID-19 vaccination among people with substance use disorders, while also acknowledging that even after vaccination, this group is at an increased risk and should continue to take protective measures against COVID-19.”
Per the study, those with substance use disorders, including alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, opioid and tobacco use, had elevated rates of severe outcomes resulting in hospitalization and death amid breakthrough infections.
“From previous studies, we knew that people with substance use disorders may be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 and severe related outcomes,” Rong Xu, professor in the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery at Case Western Reserve University, said. “These results emphasize that, while the vaccine is essential and effective, some of these same risk factors still apply to breakthrough infections.”
Xu said it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and the long-term effects of the virus.