New study shows possible link between PFAS in blood and effects on the immune system
A new study from the National Institute of Public Health and the ENFORCE research project sheds light on a potential, though not definitive, association between PFAS exposure and the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination.
The study, published in the scientific journal Environmental Research, is based on data from 371 Danes aged 50-69, who were monitored during the COVID-19 pandemic to investigate whether PFAS in their blood affected the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.
PFAS, commonly found in various consumer products such as cookware and water-repellent textiles, is known to accumulate in the body and potentially impact the immune system. Previous research has shown that PFAS may weaken immune responses in children, particularly in connection with childhood vaccinations.
In the current study, researchers found that PFAS initially had no effect on participants' immune response after their first two COVID-19 vaccinations. However, using a specific statistical method to account for individual differences, researchers observed a correlation after the third vaccination:
“Among participants who received the so-called booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, we saw a slight trend where individuals with higher PFAS concentrations in their blood experienced a smaller increase in antibody concentrations after the booster compared to those with lower PFAS concentrations. This indicates that Danes with higher PFAS concentrations in their blood were not as well protected by the third vaccine and produced fewer antibodies against COVID-19 compared to Danes with lower PFAS concentrations,” explains researcher and associate professor Amalie Timmermann from the National Institute of Public Health.
The study indicates that higher PFAS concentrations in the blood were associated with a lower increase in antibody response after the booster.
However, the result is not statistically significant, and could, according to Amalie Timmermann, be affected by imprecision. She emphasizes that the results should be interpreted with caution:
“It is unclear whether PFAS itself reduces the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine in adults, but the findings suggest a potential efconnection. Therefore, further studies may be necessary to provide a clearer answer as to whether PFAS exposure affects immune responses to vaccines among adults in a similar way as among children.”
The study accounted for factors such as age, gender, diabetes status, the number of vaccines received, and the time since the most recent vaccination.
Amalie Timmermann and her colleagues are working on several other projects to explore the effects of PFAS on the immune system.
Contact: Associate Professor and Researcher Amalie Timmermann, email: atimmermann@health.sdu.dk, phone: +45 6550 3743, National Institute of Public Health, SDU.