Vaccination of Solid-Organ Transplantation Candidates

Verifying immunization status and updating vaccinations are important steps in the evaluation of patients who are solid-organ transplant candidates because the potential benefits of vaccination outweigh the risk of adverse events. Because patients with end-organ disease, such as end-stage renal disease and cirrhosis, have reduced immune responses to many vaccines, vaccination should be performed as early as possible during the course of these diseases. Furthermore, it is particularly important for live vaccines to be updated during the pretransplant assessment because such vaccines are contraindicated once a patient is maintained on immunosuppression. Current information on vaccination for adult solid-organ transplant candidates is reviewed.