Liver
Covid-19 vaccine
December 8, 2020
in Liver
Has your transplant team talked to you about the vaccine? Do you plan on getting it?
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1 - 13 of 13 Replies
Transplant Patient
I was told it will take until spring for it to be available to us - what have you been told?
We are lucky to get to see the vaccine in action in the UK before it gets to us!! I am enjoying following the news on its rollout.
My team hasn't commented much on it yet, but I'm sure everyone is asking about it and they'll give an update soon!
I had a question about it I heard transplant recipients were to wait because its still fairly new and we don't know how it will react with us and immune systems. Am I wrong? I just want to be as best informed.
Transplant Patient
I haven’t heard much about it. I’m not even sure if it’s a live virus vaccine (which isn’t safe for transplant patients) or not. They started the first doses in Canada just recently and I’m just waiting for my doctors thoughts before I make a decision
I know that immunocompromised patients have not been part of the trials thus far, so they can't conclusively say whether or not it is "safe" for us just yet... I would go with whatever your transplant team recommends/you are comfortable with!
I know in the US the vaccines are not live viruses. Definitely smart to get your doctor's recommendations!
Transplant Patient
@lescp3 we seem to not have priority over elderly or people w obesity/diabetes / which I think is questionable ...
I do think it is interesting how they are prioritizing those with "high medical conditions" - one proposal I saw had "smokers" receiving the vaccine before "solid organ transplant recipients" which doesn't seem right to me!
Is this something that each state is determining for their residents??
I was told today by my healthcare team that the American Society of Transplantation has recommended the vaccine foe transplant patients because the benefits of the vaccine will outweigh the risk.
See their Q&A document here: https://www.myast.org/sites/default/files/2020%2012%2008%20COVID19%20VACCINE%20FAQS_FINAL.pdf
The expectation is that transplant patients are in the 1c “high risk” group.
That being said, state and local public health localities have the discretion to prioritize administration of the vaccine to the various at risk groups as they see fit.
Subsequently, I am a liver transplant recipient (May 2020) and I also work in the field of public health policy. I plan to go and get my vaccine as soon as it’s made available to me.
this is great info!! thanks michelle!
Transplant Patient
wow -smokers are prioritized over transplant patients...
Odd, but I guess they are at higher risk for complications