Are vaccinated kidney transplant patients adequately protected against COVID-19?
This question has been recently addressed in a study by Wijkström, 2023. The short answer is no, not really. This is a summary of what they found.
Why is this important?
Patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT, i.e. dialysis or a kidney transplant) have been identified as a vulnerable group during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study reported the outcomes of COVID-19 in RRT patients in Sweden, a country where patients on RRT were prioritised early in the vaccination campaign.
What did the study show?
On 1 January 2020, there were 4097 patients on dialysis (median age 70 years) and 5905 with a kidney transplant (median age 58 years). Between March 2020 and February 2021, mortality rates increased by 10% (from 720 to 804 deaths) and 22% (from 158 to 206 deaths) in dialysis and transplant patients, respectively, compared with the same period in 2019.
After vaccination started, mortality rates during the third wave (April 2021) returned to pre-COVID-19 mortality rates among dialysis patients, while mortality rates remained increased among transplant recipients.
Dialysis patients had a higher risk for COVID-19 hospitalisation and death before vaccination started, but a lower risk after vaccination compared with kidney transplant patients.
Conclusion
The authors concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden resulted in increased mortality and hospitalisation amongst RRT patients. After vaccination started, a reduction in hospitalisation and mortality rates was observed amongst dialysis patients, but not kidney transplant patients. Early and prioritised vaccination of RRT patients in Sweden probably saved many lives.
What does this mean for you?
If you are a dialysis patient, and especially if you have a kidney transplant, you should keep up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations.
Last Reviewed on 1 November 2023