Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Aug;23(4):e13696.
doi: 10.1111/tid.13696. Epub 2021 Jul 28.

Transplantation programs facing lack of empirical evidence on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: A society recommendation consensus update

Nora Nevermann  1 , Leke Wiering  1 , Helen Wu  1 , Philipp Moroder  2 , Andreas Brandl  3 , Brigitta Globke  1 , Felix Krenzien  1 , Nathanael Raschzok  1 , Wenzel Schöning  1 , Georg Lurje  1 , Robert Öllinger  1 , Moritz Schmelzle  1 , Johann Pratschke  1 , Paul Viktor Ritschl  1   4
Affiliations

Transplantation programs facing lack of empirical evidence on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: A society recommendation consensus update

Nora Nevermann et al. Transpl Infect Dis. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Since phase III trials for the most prominent vaccines excluded immunocompromised or immunosuppressed patients, data on safety and efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for recipients of solid organ transplantations are scarce.

Aims: Our study offers a synthesis of expert opinions aligned with available data addressing key questions of the clinical management of SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations for transplant patients.

Method: An online research was performed retrieving available recommendations by national and international transplantation organizations and state institutions on SARS-CoV2 vaccination management for transplant recipients.

Results: Eleven key statements were identified from recommendations by 18 national and international societies, and consensus for the individual statements was evaluated by means of the Society Recommendation Consensus score. The highest consensus level (SRC A) was found for prioritized access to vaccination for transplant patients despite anticipation of a weakened immune response. All currently authorized vaccines can be considered safe for transplant patients (SRC A). The handling of immunosuppressive medication, the timely management of vaccines, and other aspects were aligned with available expert opinions.

Conclusion: Expert consensus can be determined for crucial aspects of the implementation of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination programs. We hereby offer a tool for immediate decision-making until empirical data becomes available.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2 vaccination; solid organ transplantation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Moritz Schmelzle received funding from Merck Serono GmbH, Bayer AG, Amgen Inc., ERBE Elektromedizin GmbH, Johnson&Johnson Medical GmbH, Takeda Pharm. Lim., Olympus K.K., Medtronic GmbH, and Intuitive Surg. Inc. All other authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Positions of individual societies were defined as “consenting” (mark‐up: green, attributed value: +1), “dissenting” (mark‐up: red, attributed value: −1), “case‐by‐case decision/partial agreement” (mark‐up: orange, attributed value: 0), or “not discussed” (mark‐up: white, attributed value: 0). SRC categories were defined as strong = A (>50% of the societies support the statement); medium = B (25%–50% of the societies support the statement), low recommendation = C (<25% of the societies support the statement) Abbreviation: SCR, Society Recommendation Consensus.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Polack FP, Thomas SJ, Kitchin N, et al. Safety and efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid‐19 vaccine. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(27):2603–2615. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Baden LR, El Sahly HM, Essink B, et al. Efficacy and safety of the mRNA‐1273 SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(5):403–416. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Voysey M, Clemens SAC, Madhi SA, et al. Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV‐19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS‐CoV‐2: an interim analysis of four randomised controlled trials in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK. Lancet. 2021;397(10269):99–111. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ritschl PV, Nevermann N, Wiering L, et al. Solid organ transplantation programs facing lack of empiric evidence in the COVID‐19 pandemic: a By‐proxy Society Recommendation Consensus approach. Am J Transplant. 2020;20(7):1826–1836. - PMC - PubMed
    1. COVID‐19 vaccine FAQ sheet. American Society of Transplantation . Accessed April 18, 2021. https://www.myast.org/sites/default/files/2021%2003%2018%20COVID19%20VAC...