Exercise and vaccination in COPD

A sudden worsening of respiratory symptoms in Chronic obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is called a flare up. These flare ups are caused by respiratory infections. Exercise programs can reduce the number of people experiencing a flare up of COPD by as much as 40%. We don’t yet know why this happens. Key reasons why people with COPD have flare ups include weakened body defences (immune system) against respiratory infections. Measuring responses to safe, but foreign substances like vaccines provide one of the best ways to test how well the immune system defends against infections. We are seeking to understand to whether the flu or COVID-19 booster vaccines can help assess how exercise changes the immune system of people with COPD. The project will recruit volunteers with COPD. The project will involve groups of volunteers who have 1) received an exercise program before receiving a flu or COVID-19 vaccine; 2) an exercise session immediately after vaccination; 3) no exercise before or after flu or COVID-19 vaccine. We collect blood and saliva from volunteers at the start of the project, before vaccination and on multiple occasions after vaccination. We will measure levels of proteins (antibodies) and white blood cells produced by the immune system in response to the vaccines. Volunteers will keep record of side effects to the vaccines and their lung health through the number of flare ups. The results of this project will tell us how people with COPD find the experience of taking part in research on exercise and vaccines. They will tell us how likely they are taking part in the first place, attend all necessary visits, and if it is both possible and safe to exercise before receiving vaccines. We will also for the first time collect preliminary results on the impact of exercise intervention on the immune responses to vaccination to respiratory viruses in COPD.