Obesity was flagged as a risk factor for severe COVID-19 early in the global pandemic. However, prior to this study, little was known about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines for overweight people and those with obesity. This is similar to the increased risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes shown prior to the vaccination programme. The reduced effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines among people with a low BMI may also reflect a reduced immune response due to frailty or other conditions associated with low body weight. The full paper, 'Associations of BMI with COVID-19 vaccine uptake, vaccine effectiveness, and risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes after vaccination in England: a population-based cohort study', can be read in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.
