Flu vaccination is safe for kidney transplant patients and lowers their risk of organ loss and death.
Flu vaccination is safe for kidney transplant patients and lowers their risk of organ loss and death.
Kidney transplant patients face a high risk of death if they get infected with flu, but some previous studies have suggested that flu vaccines could trigger an immune response that might lead to rejection of the new organ. In addition, research has suggested that immune system-suppressing drugs that transplant patients must take may reduce the effectiveness of flu vaccines.
Researchers analysed data about flu vaccination and flu cases in 51,730 American adults who received a kidney transplant between January 2000 and July 2006 and were followed until October 2006. Of those patients, 9,678 or 19 percent received a flu vaccination in the first year after their transplant. These patients were 23 percent less likely to suffer organ loss and 18 percent less likely to die during the study period than patients who didn't receive a flu vaccination.
The 310 study patients (0.6 percent) who got the flu were no more likely to lose their transplanted kidney than those who did not get the flu.
These findings show that flu vaccination shouldn't be withheld from kidney transplant patients.
Kidney transplant patients face a high risk of death if they get infected with flu, but some previous studies have suggested that flu vaccines could trigger an immune response that might lead to rejection of the new organ. In addition, research has suggested that immune system-suppressing drugs that transplant patients must take may reduce the effectiveness of flu vaccines.
Researchers analysed data about flu vaccination and flu cases in 51,730 American adults who received a kidney transplant between January 2000 and July 2006 and were followed until October 2006. Of those patients, 9,678 or 19 percent received a flu vaccination in the first year after their transplant. These patients were 23 percent less likely to suffer organ loss and 18 percent less likely to die during the study period than patients who didn't receive a flu vaccination.
The 310 study patients (0.6 percent) who got the flu were no more likely to lose their transplanted kidney than those who did not get the flu.
These findings show that flu vaccination shouldn't be withheld from kidney transplant patients.
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