Higher Risk of Vaccine Breakthroughs in People With Substance Use Disorders: US Study

Syringes of the Pfizer-BioNTech at a Covid-19 vaccination centre in the city of Sale, on October 5, 2021. Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty Images

People with substance use disorders (SUDs) are more likely to get infected with COVID-19 and end up with adverse outcomes from the infection, according to an Oct. 5 study published on World Psychiatry (pdf).

“Drugs and alcohol affect immune function, which is likely to contribute to the higher risk for infections in individuals with SUD,” reported the study.