Supporting and educating patients and families on the intestinal failure,
intestinal rehabilitation and intestinal and multivisceral transplantation journey.
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