How much covid protection are transplant recipients really getting

Posted by bosco17 @bosco17, Apr 7, 2021

When will the CDC update their guidance on immunocompromised people and how much protection were getting from these vaccines. Are we still at risk even after vaccination?

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jfk | @jfk | Jun 2, 2021

In reply to @jennifer0726 "How did you get additional doses 3 & 4? Has this been approved by your Transplant..." + (show)

It was not difficult to get the other doses. No doctors are allowed to recommend or prescribe additional doses yet to the best of my knowledge. I have advised certain members of my team after the fact that I got the additional doses. The great news is that, after the third dose, I actually got an immune response which was not true of the first two. I got only phizer and Moderna.

jennifer0726 | @jennifer0726 | Jun 2, 2021

Glad to hear you finally received a response!

jfk | @jfk | Jun 3, 2021

In reply to @jennifer0726 "Thank you for your response Rosemary, however you misread my question. I have received both Pfizer..." + (show)

I am in the COVID-19/transplant research study at the University where I had my transplant done. The head of the study shared with me the solid organ recipients who got Covid-19 and survived had “remarkably robust anti-body production and protection. I remember him telling me that because, after hearing it, I somewhat jokingly asked him if I could get COVID-19 in a protective environment so that they could make sure it doesn’t get too far. Of course, he told me That was the worst idea he had ever heard. So the answer is getting the actual virus produces a huge immune response even in transplant recipients.

jennifer0726 | @jennifer0726 | Jun 4, 2021

In reply to @jfk "I am in the COVID-19/transplant research study at the University where I had my transplant done...." + (show)

Wow! I don’t think I’ve had Covid, but I did have infiltrates on a chest CT for chest pain. However, it would be interesting to know if I have antibodies because infiltrates have been associated with COVID-19. At that time I was tested for COVID-19 in multiple ways including blood test and all kinds of other viruses and they were all negative.
I would not want to ask for Covid, but it does show that we could produce good antibodies if we actually had the disease. Thank you for your help!

jennifer0726 | @jennifer0726 | Jun 4, 2021

As a sidenote, I was vaccinated for the hepatitis series several years ago and in 2018 was tested immune. However I lost my immunity by fall of 2020 when I was tested at Mayo pre-transplant. So I don’t have a very good history of retaining immunity from vaccines, even without being on immune suppressants.

athenalee | @athenalee | Jun 9, 2021

I recently received a notice from my transplant team advising that we should continue to follow CDC guidelines for those who are “unvaccinated,” even if we have been fully vaccinated. It will be interesting to see what the ongoing John Hopkins and other studies reveal on other types of protective responses us transplant people may develop through being vaccinated.

“More Infectious COVID-19 Variants Raise Questions About Vaccines' Effectiveness” - https://www.npr.org/2021/06/09/1004649186/more-infectious-covid-19-variants-raise-questions-about-vaccines-effectiveness - was a story this morning about research on new Covid variants and vaccine protection. The research indicates the vaccines are likely protective against variants by promoting T Cell protection. My understanding is that Tacrolimus and Cyclosporine are Calcineurin Inhibitors, which are specifically designed to inhibit T Cell production. I believe John Hopkins is studying this.