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. 2022 Jun;22(6):1705-1713.
doi: 10.1111/ajt.16995. Epub 2022 Mar 1.

Survey of current transplant center practices regarding COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the United States

Benjamin E Hippen  1 , David A Axelrod  2 , Kennan Maher  3 , Ruixin Li  3 , Deepali Kumar  4 , Yasar Caliskan  3 , Tarek Alhamad  5 , Mark Schnitzler  3 , Krista L Lentine  3
Affiliations

Survey of current transplant center practices regarding COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the United States

Benjamin E Hippen et al. Am J Transplant. 2022 Jun.

Abstract

An electronic survey canvassing current policies of transplant centers regarding a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for transplant candidates and living donors was distributed to clinicians at US solid organ transplant centers performing transplants from October 14, 2021-November 15, 2021. Responses were received from staff at 141 unique transplant centers. These respondents represented 56.4% of US transplant centers, and responding centers performed 78.5% of kidney transplants and 82.4% of liver transplants in the year prior to survey administration. Only 35.7% of centers reported implementing a vaccine mandate, while 60.7% reported that vaccination was not required. A minority (42%) of responding centers with a vaccine mandate for transplant candidates also mandated vaccination for living organ donors. Centers with a vaccine mandate most frequently cited clinical evidence supporting the efficacy of pre-transplant vaccination (82%) and stewardship obligations to ensure organs were transplanted into the lowest risk patients (64%). Centers without a vaccine mandate cited a variety of reasons including administrative, equity, and legal considerations for their decision. Transplant centers in the United States exhibit significant heterogeneity in COVID-19 vaccination mandate policies for transplant candidates. While all centers encourage vaccination, most centers have not mandated COVID-19 vaccination for candidates and living donors, citing administrative opposition, legal prohibitions, and concern about equity in access to transplants.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19; ethics; ethics and public policy; infection and infectious agents - viral; infectious disease; patient safety; solid organ transplantation; vaccine.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Reasons cited by centers against (A) and for (B) implementing a vaccine mandate
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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