COVID-19 and Transplant Patients

Congratulations Jennifer! I’m so glad you are doing well and thanks for the update! Dr Prieto was my surgeon and the team of Mayo peeps are first class! Hope you have a fantastic 2021!!!

@jennifer0726, Happy New Year! Happy Life!! Congratulations on your transplant and continuing recovery. And thank you for the update about your vaccine information.

When you are rested and settled in at home, would you care to share the good news and tell us about your kidney transplant experience? Here is the Transplant Discussion where some of your Connect supporters are waiting to hear from you!
- Kidney Transplant: Questions as I prepare for transplant https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/kidney-transplant-questions/

@jennifer0726 congrats on your transplant! For now don’t worry too much about the COVID-19 vaccine. Focus on the gift of the transplant and adjusting to the new you.

Congratulations, @jennifer0726 I hope you are feeling great at this point.

Regarding the Covid vaccine and patients on immunosuppressants, I read somewhere that it will only be about 60+% effective on us. As you say, any immunity is better than none though.

I am waiting to hear from my transplant at Mass General if I can get the vaccine, they seem to be lagging, and they tend to be very conservative.
JK

@jerrynord, I am wondering how you are doing. Are you still under quarantine? What about your symptoms?

I. Had a kidney transplant, the duration:13 years. I am now 18 and a half years right now, will be 19 years in a few months
And I haven't had covid at all.
I don't want to take the vaccine. I am also on immunosuppressives. There are only 8 people in the world who aren't taking immunosuppressants at all.
I have standing orders from my nephrologist, when I'm ready to make a appointment.
I'm very careful, washing my hands, using sanitizer,and the other precautions mentioned here. I don't get the flu shot at all. But I do take vegan Vitamin D, vegan Vitamin B12 ,vegan Moringa, and vegan Omega-3

Everyone here:
Stay Safe, Be Well

Yes.God is good all the time. And all the time His is Good.
I pray everyday.
He's The Great Physician!

I had a kidney transplant in 1981 from my dad who passed away in 2007. His kidney is now 91 yrs old! Two weeks ago I received a reply on my Mayo portal saying that both vaccines can be given to transplant patients. The vaccine will only be 65% effective, not 95%, on transplant patients. Communicate with you transplant team.

Here is info I received on my portal. Hope it helps
Dear Thomas Allyn Thulin,

On behalf of our Transplant Center we wanted to share the following FAQs about COVID-19 vaccines. There are still many unknowns, but vaccines offer a new tool to prevent COVID-19 infection.

When should transplant recipients or transplant candidates receive the vaccine?

Transplant candidates (patients waiting for transplant) should receive the vaccine as soon as it is available to them, as the antibody response is likely to be better before transplantation.

Transplant recipients (patients who have received a transplant) should receive the vaccine as soon as it is available, generally waiting 1-3 months after transplantation, depending on the type of anti-rejection medications received at the time of transplantation. If you have received treatment for rejection in the past 3 months please reach out to your transplant team for advice on timing of vaccination.

Different states will have different allocation plans for vaccine prioritization and distribution. In general, the first supplies of vaccine will be going to healthcare workers, skilled nursing facility workers and nursing facility residents. It is expected that other essential workers and high-risk patients (like transplant candidates and recipients) would be the next groups to be offered the vaccine, based on guidance from the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Mayo Clinic does not yet have information on when the vaccine would be available for high-risk patients, but this information will be shared once details are known. Those who are able to obtain the vaccine locally, from the state they reside in, are encouraged to do so once the vaccine is available.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Multiple vaccines are undergoing clinical trials to evaluate their safety and efficacy. At this time, two vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) have been granted the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the US Food and Drug Authorization (FDA). Both of these vaccines are mRNA based, and require 2 doses to be effective.

These vaccines, similar to other common vaccines, can cause fevers, muscle aches, and headaches. Most of these effects are mild to moderate in severity, but some may be severe enough to briefly limit activities. These effects typically resolve within 1-2 days.

The safety of mRNA vaccines is still under investigation in solid organ transplant recipients. Based on their mechanism of action, they are unlikely to trigger rejection episodes, but we will continue to carefully monitor for any unexpected effects in transplant recipients.

Are these vaccines effective for transplant patients?

Both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines were very effective in a large group of people with essentially normal immune systems. No transplant recipients were included in these clinical trials. The effectiveness was similar in patients older than 65 years of age. Importantly, less severe disease was noted if a breakthrough infection occurred after vaccination. We do not know how long this protection will last after getting the vaccine and we do not know the efficacy of these vaccines in transplant patients. Solid organ transplant recipients may have a lower antibody response than those without transplants. More study is needed in this area. However, the expert consensus opinion from the American Society of Transplantation, the American Society of Transplant Surgeons and the NIH is that transplant candidates and recipients should receive the vaccine.

Precautions after COVID vaccine for the transplant patients

It is possible that the vaccine is less effective in people who are getting immunosuppressive medications, like transplant recipients. Transplant patients and their families should continue practicing social distancing, use of face coverings when facing people outside of their households, and hand-washing as the most effective way of avoiding COVID-19 infection.

I hope this helps answer any questions that you have about the vaccine but please let us know if not. Please let us know if there is anything else we can help with.

Thank you for using Patient Online Services and have a great day.

Cassy Williams, RN, CCTC
Your Transplant Care Team

----- Message -----
From:Thomas Allyn Thulin
Sent:1/12/2021 9:24 AM CST
To:Katherine M Linnen
Subject:Non-Urgent Medical Question

Good Morning Katie,
Government just announced that those 65 and older should start being vaccinated for covid-19. My question to you is the vaccinations safe for transplant patients?

Look forward to your advice
Tom thulin

Yes and thank you.I already know that the vaccine will not be 95% effective, because those individuals who are on immunosuppressives have a less active immune system, than the individuals who aren't on any immunosuppressives at all, their the ones that the vaccine will be 95% effective.
I have already communicated with my team, thank You.
The information on this site, I'm already familiar with.

@guidant07
Thanks for the info.
Knowing your Dad's kidney has been safe, sound and functioning for 91 years gives me so much hope. ♥️