hi all. My 23 year old son is currently awaiting a kidney transplant. His team as informed him that he has to have the Covid vaccine before his surgery. Has this happened to anyone? He is scared to get the vaccine ! Any input would be amazing!!
transplant and covid: hi all. My 23 year... - Kidney Transplant
transplant and covid
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Boymommm
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When my nephrologist and I decided it was time for me to start dialysis, I had to have all my covid shots (boosters included). It is more for his protection.
It sounds silly but one of my four sister's actually took a stuffed animal with her to get her MRI done. It helped her, maybe they would let him do the same.
you did ok? No side effects or Illness? He is terrified.
I did ok.
Hi There , vaccine’s are necessary before transplant due to immune suppressants that are required which puts tx patient at risk , so much so that I had quite the vaccine schedule before my tx , many different vaccines, took 6-12 months to complete the full schedule , but no problems at all
I had two vaccines and two boosters and had no side effects or any problems. And, all the memners of my family did the same and had no problems. Hoping all goes well with your son and he understands that vaccines help not hurt people. I havent heard if amyome being hurt or hintered by them.
Hi Boymommm, I’ve had a transplant and got the COVID vaccine and all the boosters.
I had zero side effects besides a sore arm.
I’m actively waitlisted for a transplant at the moment. I have to have COVID shots and stay current with them. I’ve had no difficulties with them. As others have said, there are several required vaxes for transplant recipients. I had to get shingles vaxes and hepatitis as well as pnemonia etc.
Jayhawker
yep my transplant center require me to get them I have had all of them plus two shots two booster just got the third booster that came out . I did feel very fatigue after the first shots and a little fatigue after the booster just last booster only a sore arm I had the Pfizer one my husband and son has maderna one and they only had sore arms all the time .
He need to decide if he want the shots or he need to ask if he doesn’t have them does that effect him not getting a kkdney .
does he want the transplant? If they require something is he not willing to comply? I’ve had the shots and the boosters as had my family. I’ve had to get others too…dTap, me, shingles. And if they require more I’ll do that too in order to stay off dialysis or die as that are the other options available with kidney failure. But that’s my decision he has to make his as we all have a choice.
hi I got my transplant last year. The first Covid shit was required before surgery so I had to get it. The second I got about 6 weeks after surgery. I refused any boosters and gave done fine. I had Covid in 2020 so I had the highest antibodies they had seen. Which is way better than the shot. Unfortunately they required it so I had to get it if I wanted the transplant. My donor also had to and got Covid a few months later and pretty bad. I didn’t have any reaction to the shot but my husband was terribly sick.
Boymommm - I will add that post-tx, I was not required to get the shots. It was a decision I was permitted to make on my own….and I waited a while before getting them. If after reading all these posts and doing your research, if he still has reservations about the vaccine, my suggestion (every has one), would be to discuss his concerns with the center. Is it truely something they are requiring? Or something they recommend? I have read stories about people being taken off the list because they did not get the vaccine. I’m sorry he needs a transplant and has to make these decisions.
Best,
D
Im sorry they are making your son get the vaccine. I have not and will not get the vaccine. My nephrologist knows I wont and does not push me to. Im 6 years post transplant and got covid last year and was fine. Really hope theres a way he wont have to get it, especially if he doesnt want to. No one should be forced this vaccine.
thank you all so much for your comments. He is only 23 and his main fear is that because he isn’t healthy that if he gets the vaccine it will do more harm than good. One transplant center says he has to have or he can’t get his kidney so far. I am just pretty much trying to help him not be so afraid to research it and make a decision. He’s been on dialysis for only a few months but this vaccine business is pushing his transplant out further, he just wants to be a kid 😞 I have also heard if he gets the antibody titer that might help avoid the vaccine. Please keep coming with your comments they are helping thank you so much
People are getting Covid now despite the vax and boosters because we never reached herd immunity AND it's a new variant BA.5 which is more readily transmittable.
I plan on getting the 2nd booster and my 2nd shingles shot on Oct 1st since it's been updated. I also have Graves Disease which causes hyperthyroidism along with my 15% function. I'm not on dialysis and am trying to get a transplant before I have to. If they require something I'll comply how else will they know I can and will take the meds as prescribed if I don't follow their protocol? I also can't jump to another center as there are only a few my insurance will pay for. I can't afford to pay for this on my own.
Transplant centers have plenty of candidates who will follow instructions - their waitlists are exceptionally long. Like getting admittance to an exclusive college or business, those who complete the steps will be considered, others will be dropped. This is the way it is. Demand is high, supply is low. Our transplant center required all vaccines be completely up-to-date before he was given his precious gift. It required another test that other candidates didn't require. We did them as set out. Compliance is everything. It's essential - the centers are closely tracked and must focus on the success ratios or face disciplinary actions or closure. This said, a transplant is a treatment; dialysis is also a treatment. The "decision tree" is easy to follow - it will shuffle a person into one or the other. In either outcome, you will receive plenty of inoculations, but particularly so with the transplant option. So, for all those looking for their first transplant, second transplant, third transplant - it's very wise to follow the map given to you for your center. For those wishing to strike out on their own path, then know that it will also lead to an outcome other than a transplant. It's all about logic over emotion, unless you prefer to reverse the order. No right or wrong either way. It's a choice on your end, it's a choice on their end.
Transplant centers require Covid vaccinations and other vaccinations to help protect the precious gift of a transplanted kidney. I had my original Covid vaccines and my booster- absolutely no problem.
not all do- and nor should they. It’s wrong.
I would never complain about anyone sharing their experiences and/or opinions. Sorry about the injuries and the death from covid vaccines that you reported. Its scary and surprising to learn this . I guess my family was lucky to have had no problems. Thanks for sharing your information
wow thats awful. My concern is that unless this young man gets all his vaccines, he doesnt get a kidney transplant. Its a big decision that he has to make. Maybe, he has to look not only at the side effects, but most importantly he has to look closely at the % of side effects compared to those who had none.
It's her son's decision only, he is 23 years old. Harmful side effects are extremely rare. Her son seems to have a statistically inaccurate risk profile in his head and needs to be given a correct risk profile. by a medical professional. He will not get a transplant without getting all required vaccinations.
The number of side effects is irrelevant. The percentage of recipients experiencing dangerous side effects is all that matters, and its extremely low - much lower than the risk of dying of COVID. All medications have serious but rare side effects. As for natural alternatives, they have zero effect on stopping viruses and are basically useless.
Are you located in the United States? Maybe you already all of the vaccines you needed?
You're extremely lucky. Do you mind sharing the transplant center that waived the immunizations? I'm sure it's of significant interest here and people would like to research and possibly apply as well as to the others you indicate don't care about this. All the transplant centers I'm aware of in the mid-Atlantic region have specific requirement for up-to-date vaccinations. As a matter of fact, my hubby just got off a teleconference visit a couple of hours ago with his transplant center (VCU-Richmond) during which he was told to get his Covid and Flu immunizations now and an appointment was set for his Evusheld booster in two months. So your transplant center and the others you referred to are doing nothing at all about this - zero, zip, zilch, nada?
So I've seen - sorry to contradict you. You should know however that I am virulently pro-vaccine and I do not believe the vaccine can be called experimental. 19,000 (can you point me to this data) is indeed rare when compared to millions and perhaps billions of vaccines given. It truly is his decision but you can't live on dialysis forever. Maybe he can go somewhere where it isn't a requirement.
I've read studies of natural remedies but I'm sorry, I can't recall where.
I didn't call any specific person and certainly anyone on this page an idiot. I generalized about media sources that spew lies and/or unresearched or unverified information. Please read more carefully.
If it's official policy, it's open information. I see there are around 10 transplant centers in Texas - some with good outcomes, some with poor. Should be quite easy for anyone to do the research. Perhaps the rules might be a bit bendable if you've come up with your own donor and the donor supports and agrees with you. But when you're pitting an entire body of science and research against personal interests and values, and urging that those stances eclipse the centers, there's a problem - for the centers' results, for donors who want their organs to go to responsible individuals, and particularly for transplant candidates on lists who are willing to do anything and everything to produce wonderful outcomes for all. Reputation matters - for everyone.
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