Welcome to VMP Genetics

COVID-19 Vaccine Statement as of Feb 3, 2021

To date, healthcare workers and a host of others including many elderly have received either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19. Our complex care patients who have received a vaccine have not reported complications above those seen in the general population to include fever, myalgias, joint pain, headache, localized tenderness at the injection site, and fatigue. We personally experienced similar complications primarily following our second Pfizer immunization.

Many chronic care patients will be eligible for the receipt of some form of the vaccine as part of the CDC 1C tiered approach to distribution. Depending on availability of the vaccines, this will most likely occur in the next several months.

Because the vaccination is associated with unpleasant side effects, questions regarding the use of Tylenol or Advil have arisen. The infectious disease experts all agree that such medications should not be given prophylactically, i.e. before the immunization since that will dampen the body's natural response to the injection. However, data suggests that post immunization treatment with Tylenol or Advil for side effects is not likely to interfere with that process. Those with a mitochondrial disorder that wish to avoid the use of Tylenol can take Advil.

Fran D. Kendall, M.D.

COVID-19 Vaccine Statement as of Dec 14, 2020

Many are asking questions about the vaccine. An excellent source of information is from the CDC, the White House Coronavirus Task Force, the NIH, or your local community health department.

From our perspective and as a general rule, the mitochondrial and other chronic complex disease patients we personally follow who have contracted COVID are getting sicker and requiring more intervention than their age matched controls. This finding is consistent with a study looking at Down syndrome patients who similarly developed more severe problems at younger ages. Of note, one of my adult patients has developed long COVID syndrome with fatigue, concentration and focusing issues and worsening autonomic problems following his recovery from active infection.

In regards to the reaction to the vaccine, one of our patients who participated in the Moderna trial developed 103F fever, was sick for days, but fully recovered within a week. As is consistent with other reports, these patients are developing a mild COVID phenotype. That is the extend of the data I have to date from our patients.

Those patients who are critically ill or very unstable baseline (intractable seizures that worsen with illness, for example) may wish to defer the vaccine in initial phases to prevent decompensation from the onset of a COVID phenotype post immunization. Other more stable patients may consider their general exposure risk (i.e. are they in health care or work in the critical supply chain) in the context of their health issues, the mental and physical fatigue of isolation, their age, and previous response to immunizations and illness. Unfortunately, there are no other clear guidelines available at this time as this is an evolving process and comments and recommendations may be modified over time. Nonetheless, ultimately the decision to receive the vaccination is up to you, the patient and the family. We, the medical community, are here only to provide you with the information as we know and understand the information at any given time.

Fran D. Kendall, M.D.