COVID-19 Vaccine & Organ Transplant Recipients: News for You

All Americans see a sign of hope for the future with the new vaccines for Covid-19.  The push is now on to vaccinate as many people as possible so that we can see an end to this pandemic.  Many people are asking questions about the safety of the Covid-19 vaccine for organ transplant recipients.  Organ transplant recipients are at a higher risk for serious illness from the coronavirus because of our compromised immune systems.   However we want to be sure that any vaccine for Covid-19 is safe for organ transplant recipients.  

We have included a letter that was recently sent to all transplant patients from the Penn Transplant Institute of Philadelphia, one of the leading transplant centers in the United States.  We are posting this letter as an example of what you might receive from your transplant center.  If you have any questions about taking the new vaccine for Covid-19 we strongly encourage you to contact your own transplant team.  Your transplant team is always the best source of information about your healthcare.  Thank you.  

December 15th, 2020

Philadelphia, PA

Dear Patient,

The approval of a COVID-19 vaccine by the US Food and Drug Administration is a major step toward helping to control the pandemic. The vaccine is highly effective, preventing COVID-19 infection in 95 of every 100 patients that received it, with no life-threatening side effects identified. However, the vaccine has not yet been tested in organ transplant recipients, so we do not know with certainty that it will be safe or effective in the transplant population. We also do not know when it will be available for transplant recipients.

Despite the absence of experience with this vaccine in transplant patients, a panel of experts from the American Society of Transplantation has recommended that transplant patients should get the currently approved mRNA COVID-19 vaccine when it is offered to them because it is likely that the harm of COVID-19 outweighs the risk of this vaccine for transplant patients. We at Penn Transplant Institute endorse this recommendation for the mRNA vaccine. At this time, we do not have adequate information to recommend other types of COVID-19 vaccines. 

We recognize that this may be a scary and difficult time for you. As new data becomes available, guidance from authorities and researchers may change. Be assured that we are constantly monitoring the situation and are committed to keeping you updated regarding all aspects of COVID-19.

If you have any immediate questions, please contact your transplant team. 

Regards,

Penn Transplant Institute

-       From Trioweb.org