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Some doctors are worried that once a vaccine for COVID-19 is determined to be safe and effective on humans, it may be less effective for obese adults.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said obesity could interfere with the body’s immune response, putting obese people at higher risk of infection. They said if there is a vaccine by the end of the year or early next year, it’s unlikely to work in obese people. However, Dr. Timothy Garvey, an endocrinologist based in Alabama, told CNN that it’s still safer for obese people to get vaccinated than not.

“The influenza vaccine still works in patients with obesity, but just not as well,” Garvey said. 

In March, research from China found that heavier Chinese patients with COVID-19 were more likely to die from the virus.

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This segment aired on August 10, 2020.