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Objective Rituximab (RTX)‐treated patients exhibit suboptimal responses to COVID‐19 vaccines. However, existing research primarily involves patients already receiving RTX when vaccines were introduced, failing to account for the current landscape where patients are vaccinated before initiating RTX. Our objective was to compare the serological response to COVID‐19 vaccines in patients vaccinated before or after RTX initiation. Methods We included 254 RTX‐treated patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRDs) and 113 blood donors (BDs) in a retrospective, observational cohort study. Patients were categorized based on the timing of RTX treatment relative to primary COVID‐19 vaccination. Serological vaccine responses were assessed using three immunoassays, and logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of serological response. Results Patients vaccinated before initiating RTX treatment had significantly higher seroconversion rates of SARS‐CoV‐2 immunoglobulin G (87%) and neutralizing antibodies (91%) compared with those receiving RTX before and after vaccination (n = 132) (61% and 65%, respectively). In the logistic regression analysis, a positive serological response was associated with the number of vaccines administered >9 months after the last RTX treatment. Patients receiving the highest number of vaccines with >9 months after RTX showed a response comparable to that of the BDs. Conclusion Vaccinating before RTX initiation yields a robust serological response in patients with AIIRDs. Furthermore, we highlight the reversibility of antibody impairment after RTX treatment cessation, provided that adequate vaccinations occur within a minimum of 9 months after RTX. Our findings offer essential insights for clinical decision‐making regarding COVID‐19 vaccination and RTX treatment, alleviating concerns about future RTX use.

Objective: Rituximab (RTX)‐treated patients exhibit suboptimal responses to COVID‐19 vaccines. However, existing research primarily involves patients already receiving RTX when vaccines were introduced, failing to account for the current landscape where patients are vaccinated before initiating RTX. Our objective was to compare the serological response to COVID‐19 vaccines in patients vaccinated before or after RTX initiation. Methods: We included 254 RTX‐treated patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRDs) and 113 blood donors (BDs) in a retrospective, observational cohort study. Patients were categorized based on the timing of RTX treatment relative to primary COVID‐19 vaccination. Serological vaccine responses were assessed using three immunoassays, and logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of serological response. Results: Patients vaccinated before initiating RTX treatment had significantly higher seroconversion rates of SARS‐CoV‐2 immunoglobulin G (87%) and neutralizing antibodies (91%) compared with those receiving RTX before and after vaccination (n = 132) (61% and 65%, respectively). In the logistic regression analysis, a positive serological response was associated with the number of vaccines administered >9 months after the last RTX treatment. Patients receiving the highest number of vaccines with >9 months after RTX showed a response comparable to that of the BDs. Conclusion: Vaccinating before RTX initiation yields a robust serological response in patients with AIIRDs. Furthermore, we highlight the reversibility of antibody impairment after RTX treatment cessation, provided that adequate vaccinations occur within a minimum of 9 months after RTX. Our findings offer essential insights for clinical decision‐making regarding COVID‐19 vaccination and RTX treatment, alleviating concerns about future RTX use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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On 31 December 2019, the Municipal Health Commission of Wuhan, China, reported a cluster of atypical pneumonia cases. On 5 January 2020, the WHO publicly released a Disease Outbreak News (DON) report, providing information about the pneumonia cases, implemented response interventions, and WHO's risk assessment and advice on public health and social measures. Following 9 additional DON reports and 209 daily situation reports, on 17 August 2020, WHO published the first edition of the COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update (WEU). On 1 September 2023, the 158th edition of the WEU was published on WHO's website, marking its final issue. Since then, the WEU has been replaced by comprehensive global epidemiological updates on COVID-19 released every 4 weeks. During the span of its publication, the webpage that hosts the WEU and the COVID-19 Operational Updates was accessed annually over 1.4 million times on average, with visits originating from more than 100 countries. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the WEU process, from data collection to publication, focusing on the scope, technical details, main features, underlying methods, impact and limitations. We also discuss WHO's experience in disseminating epidemiological information on the COVID-19 pandemic at the global level and provide recommendations for enhancing collaboration and information sharing to support future health emergency responses., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)