Mae Ramat

Researchers are studying the immune response to COVID-19 vaccines in people with tuberculosis (TB) compared to healthy individuals. This observational study focuses on how well the vaccines trigger antibody and cellular immunity in bacteriologically confirmed TB patients undergoing treatment versus healthy controls. The study considers three widely used COVID-19 vaccines: Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Janssen Ad26.COV2.S, which have different dosing schedules and vaccine technologies. Participants will receive one or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine injected into the deltoid muscle of the non-dominant arm. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine involves two doses 21 days apart, AstraZeneca two doses at least 12 weeks apart, and Janssen a single dose. The study lasts about one year and includes follow-up visits after vaccination to assess immune responses and vaccine safety in both TB patients and healthy individuals. During the study, participants will attend multiple visits for blood tests measuring antibody and cellular responses before vaccination, after the first dose, and at various times after the second dose if applicable. Safety will be monitored through daily follow-ups for a week after each dose to record any side effects. Laboratory tests will also monitor liver, kidney, and blood function, and participants will be tested for infections like HIV, hepatitis B and C, and COVID-19 before enrollment. The main outcomes compare immune responses between TB patients and healthy people at specified days depending on the vaccine used.