I finally got a chance to get the COVID vaccine. As a guy with chronological superiority (fancy talk for I'm older than most) and a high risk category with NASH/cirrhosis this is a big deal.

I keep seeing comments from NASH patients who say they are not going to get the vaccine. That is a risky strategy.  I understand the concern but even beyond the risk of dying from COVID, I personally am concerned about the long Covid symptoms that are being reported. Think about that.  You are dealing with issues now.  As a compromised patient, even if you survive infection, might the odds of lingering problems on top of what you already have be greater. That possibility concerns me and is part of why I want the vaccine.

I'm a proactive patient so I'm doing a couple of things that you might consider.  I've joined a clinical trial by Johns Hopkins to track the antibody response to the vaccine in patients with liver disease. Here is a link to information about that.information about that.

John Hopkins COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Chronic Conditions

This is very important as we need to know how well people with chronic disease actually produce anti-bodies. Check it out. See if you are eligible. We all need to play our part. Participating in clinical trials is the only way medicine moves forward so I encourage you to be engaged in research.

As a way to monitor my personal health, I am using the LIVERFASt blood test  These are my most recent results which show that my NASH is still idle.

I will do this test again after I get my second dose of vaccine to satisfy myself that I haven't had some liver related response to the process. Not everyone wants to really know what is going on and I understand that but for me, I'll feel better with more data. I believe the combination of the antibody tests and the liver tests will help me make decisions about how I go forward.

If anyone is interested in the blood tests, here is some information about the SUNN Screen Project the Foundation is sponsoring.  You can order the test without participating in the Wellness League if you wish so take a look if non-invasive testing is of interest to you.

Stay tuned, Johns Hopkins is going to report the interim results to participants and I'll share that with our community as the information is developed.