COVID-19: why vaccines could be more effective in women

Women better equipped to fight infections?

In the face of the pandemic that has been hitting the world for almost a year now, vaccines are currently being developed in order to immunise populations as quickly as next week. However, one team of scientists has revealed that these vaccines could be much more effective in women.

Jean-Daniel Lelièvre, head of the infectious diseases department at Henri-Mondor Hospital in France, said that ‘it is likely that vaccines against Covid-19 will be more effective in women.’

According to French regional daily La Dépêche, this specialist is telling the truth. In fact, it has been proven that women are better immunised and better equipped against infections than men. It's all about genetics. Jean-Daniel Lelièvre said to La Dépêche:

Many of the immunity genes are on the X chromosome. However, women have two X chromosomes, while men have only one X chromosome.

How can this phenomenon be explained?

Women could be better protected against infectionsbecause they create a natural resistance which is much greater than that of men, who have antibodies that decrease more quickly.

Based on these results, Professor Lelièvre, together with the Pasteur Institute and the University Hospital of Strasbourg, discovered that vaccines could be much more ‘beneficial’ for women:

It is well-known that a very large number of vaccines are more effective in women.

These results were taken from a study carried out by Samira Fafi-Kremer, Director of the Institute of Virology in Strasbourg. Her aim was to find answers about human immunity. According to her, hormones play a crucial role:

There may also be a hormonal explanation, oestrogen may play a role.

These are clear answers that are likely to once again interest healthcare professionals.

To be continued.

Watch the video above to see who has priority in getting vaccinated.