Vaccine Info for Kidney Patients

Dear Kidney Transplant Recipient,

With COVID vaccine distribution beginning, the University of Kentucky Transplant Center wants to provide guidance about if and when to receive the vaccine. Based on most recent guidelines from the American Society of Transplantation, UK recommends that recipients (at least 6 weeks post-transplant) should take the vaccine if offered.

At this time, the transplant clinic does not offer the vaccine and it is unclear if we will have the option once vaccine availability increases. In the meantime, we strongly encourage you to receive the vaccine if offered to you elsewhere.

When vaccinated, you will be less likely to get sick with COVID, and if you do get sick, it may be a less severe form of illness. As a transplant recipient, you are more likely to suffer serious illness or death from COVID compared to the general public, so getting vaccinated has added benefits for you. Finally, by getting vaccinated yourself, you are protecting the people in your household and your close contacts.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please contact your coordinator with any questions or concerns.

For more information about the COVID vaccine for transplant patients, read this FAQ from the American Society of Transplantation.

Sincerely,

Thomas H. Waid, MD
Medical Director, Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Programs

Meera Gupta, MD
Surgical Director, Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Programs

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