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Immunizations

General Information

  • Routine vaccinations, except for live virus vaccines, are important to protect patients with compromised immune systems after transplant.


  • It is recommended that transplant patients and their family members stay up to date on their regular immunization schedule.


  • Most recipients resume their regular immunization schedule (except for live virus), like varicella and MMR, at 6 months after transplant.

  • Exception: the flu shot may be given earlier, and it is best to consult your transplant team about receiving this vaccine


  • When a sibling or family member receives a live virus vaccine (which transplant recipients cannot receive), caution should be used to avoid contact with body fluids from the person who received a live virus vaccine for at least 2 weeks (no drink sharing, good hand washing, etc.).


  • It is recommended that family members receive their flu shot annually.



Common LIVE Vaccines that You Should be Up-to-Date on Before Transplant:

  • Chickenpox (varicella)

  • Smallpox

  • Oral polio

  • Rotavirus

  • Measles/mumps/rubella (MMR)

  • BCG (for TB)

  • Cholera

  • Yellow fever

  • Typhoid (oral)

  • Influenza drops into the nose (influenza nasal mist, FluMist).


Immunizations You Are Able To Receive (Refer to Infectious Disease or Transplant Team for Appropriate Dosing Schedule)



Vaccines:

  • Injectable polio

  • Hepatitis A (HAV)

  • Hepatitis B (HBV)

  • Tetanus/diphtheria or Tetanus/diphtheria/acellular pertussis (Td or DTaP)

  • Flu shot (influenza injectable)

  • Pneumococcal (both Pneumovax or Prevnar)

  • Meningococcal Vaccine (MCV4)

  • HIB Vaccine

  • HPV Vaccine (Gardasil, papillomavirus)

  • TB skin test (which is actually not an immunization but a test to see if your child was exposed to tuberculosis [TB]before)

  • Typhoid (injectable)

  • Rabies

Immunizations
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