A UTMB multidisciplinary research team collaborated on a study to determine the safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination for transplant recipients.
Once vaccines became available, many transplant patients and researchers became concerned with the notion that COVID-19 vaccination could induce an immunologic response. If the vaccine could amplify a transplant recipient’s immune system, could
the patient reject previously transplanted organs? This team of researchers, comprised of members from pathology, transplant services, surgery, and infectious disease, was able to clarify that there were no appreciable rejection risks associated
with COVID-19 vaccination in the nearly 100 kidney transplant patients followed. Immune markers and graft rejection were studied in relation to the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson/Jansenn Vaccines.
From Dr. Kueht of the UTMB Transplant Team:
“At the UTMB Texas Transplant Center, the safety of patients and their transplanted organs is a priority. We strive to protect against infection and medication side effects. Here, we showed that our patients can be safely protected with
the COVID vaccine.”