Q: Why were people with autoimmune health issues told that they should not get the vaccine in the trials?
That is how clinical trials are set up. After the early phases of testing, they include those with other serious health issues. The first clinical trials have exclusion criteria that are meant to protect the vulnerable, including those with immune compromise or immune suppression treatment, those with autoimmune disease, history of anaphylaxis or angioedema, pregnancy, lactation, cancer, serious psychiatric illness, bleeding disorders, chronic respiratory or cardiovascular diseases, severe obesity, alcohol abuse, and injection drug users. After the initial phase 1 and 2 trials are complete establishing safety, the exclusion criteria become less restrictive in phase 3. Now hundreds of millions have received the vaccines with extensive reporting systems. The vaccines have been found to be safe for all groups.
Response by Jeffrey Kuhlman, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Quality and Safety Officer, AdventHealth