Common Variable Immunodeficiency

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a group of genetic disorders that affect your immune system. People with CVID have low levels of antibodies (proteins that fight infections) in their blood.

When you don’t have enough antibodies, you can get sick more often and more severely than other people. People with CVID have frequent respiratory, ear and sinus infections. Vaccines are also ineffective because your immune system can’t respond to them by making antibodies.

How serious is CVID?

In addition to frequent infections — which are sometimes hard to treat — CVID increases your risk of developing other life-threatening conditions. This includes severe lung disease and certain cancers.

How common is CVID?

About 1 in 25,000 people have CVID. It’s the most common primary immunodeficiency in adults. Most people are diagnosed as adults, but symptoms can start in childhood.