Organ Transplant Recipients Must Be Prioritized for COVID-19 Vaccination
(Washington, D.C., March 17, 2021) – As vaccination efforts ramp up both in the U.S. and globally, solid organ transplant recipients remain unprioritized and unvaccinated. Transplant recipients are more at risk of severe health consequences from COVID-19 than people who are not transplant recipients1 due to their immunosuppression to avoid organ rejection and often their underlying health conditions. With just 39,000 transplants performed in 2020, almost 9,000 of which were livers,2 3 transplant recipients are a relatively small and identifiable group that is already well connected to health systems, making transplant recipients prime candidates for achieving vaccination goals efficiently.
“While states across the U.S. and nations around the world are taking steps to make vaccines accessible to more vulnerable groups, we are concerned about the lack of prioritization for transplant recipients,” stated Donna Cryer, president and CEO of the Global Liver Institute (GLI). “People living with transplants have been extra cautious throughout this pandemic to not jeopardize their health, and they must be included in the top tier of vaccination priority lists. Looking ahead to the future, state and national governments will need to plan in advance to prevent supply chain issues and ensure that transplant recipients can get new shots, as they are launched, to combat the growing variants. Vaccine distribution must be fair and equitable.”
The vaccine is deemed safe for transplant recipients; however, a recent study from Johns Hopkins University found that the immune response in transplant recipients to the first dose of the mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine may be blunted due to the medications many transplant recipients take. This underscores the importance of transplant recipients quickly receiving the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Biden Administration in the U.S. is paving a solid path for supporting people with health concerns and disabilities, and GLI supports continued emphasis and concrete action to ensure the patient community is not forgotten. Dr. Kimberly Knackstedt recently became the first disability policy director to sit on the White House Domestic Policy Council and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith continues to chair the White House's COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force. GLI looks forward to engaging with both leaders on issues important to patients with liver disease.
Donna R. Cryer, JD, is the founder, president and chief executive officer of Global Liver Institute, the only patient-driven liver health nonprofit operating in the U.S. and Europe. She has channeled her personal experience as a patient with inflammatory bowel disease and a 26-year liver transplant recipient into professional advocacy across a career in law, policy, consulting, public relations, clinical trial recruitment, and nonprofit management.
About Global Liver Institute
Global Liver Institute (GLI) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt not-for-profit organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, with offices in the U.S. and Europe. GLI's vision is for liver health to take its place on the global public health agenda commensurate with its prevalence and impact. GLI's mission is to improve the lives of individuals and families impacted by liver disease through promoting innovation, encouraging collaboration, and supporting the scaling of optimal approaches to help eradicate liver diseases. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Sources
(1) VCU Health. (2021, March 2). COVID-19 vaccines and transplant patients: Is vaccination safe? VCUHealth.org https://www.vcuhealth.org/news/covid-19/covid-19-vaccines-and-transplant-patients-is-it-safe
(2) Human Resources & Services Administration. (2021, February) Organ Donation Statistics. https://www.organdonor.gov/statistics-stories/statistics.html
(3) U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. National Data. https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/view-data-reports/national-data/
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For more information, contact:
Dawn Hall, Communications Director
Global Liver Institute
dhall@globalliver.org