NNJ Journal Club - COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates in the U.S. Transplant Centers

Abstract

While the previous survey focused primarily on operational challenges, the purpose of this new survey was "to better inform clinicians, policy makers, and the public about the prevalence, rationale, and scope of vaccine mandate policies instituted (or not) by solid organ transplant centers" (p. 1). The most common reasons given for a vaccine mandate were organ stewardship responsibilities (64%), the responsibility to promote the public health (52%), and the desire to reduce the risk of transmission to health care workers (40%) and to other patients and family members (40%). Additionally, "despite evidence of hypo- responsiveness to COVID-19 vaccination in patients with end-stage kidney disease, very few centers with a vaccine mandate required additional testing to prove sufficient immune responsiveness to COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of active listing" (p. 4). Discussion The authors noted that despite widespread agreement concerning the efficacy of vaccination in decreasing the risk of severe illness and death in recipients of solid organ transplants, their "study confirms the challenges and complexity in deciding whether a transplant center should mandate COVID-19 vaccination for actively listed waitlisted candidates" (p. 4).