Repeated COVID‐19 vaccination to maximum antibody response yields very low mortality and hospitalisation rates in patients with CLL and MBL

Abstract

SummaryWe analysed COVID‐19 infection outcomes of 129/241 chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) (53.9%) and 22/55 monoclonal B‐lymphocytosis (MBL) (40.0%) patients following multiple vaccine doses aiming for maximum measured anti‐spike antibody response. Throughout the pandemic to date, there were 8/129 CLL (6.2%) patients hospitalised, with one death (0.8%). No MBL patients were hospitalised or died. CLL patients with COVID‐19 had lower anti‐spike levels (3778.8 AU/mL) than those without (13 486.8 AU/mL; p = 0.0061). Anti‐nucleocapsid antibody was detected in 29.8% within 2 months and 17.5% >6 months. Of COVID‐19‐infected CLL patients, 47.3% received anti‐viral therapy. A multiple vaccine dosing strategy to achieve measured maximum antibody is highly effective in preventing severe COVID‐19.