Vaccine Info for Lung Patients

Dear Lung Transplant Patient,

With COVID vaccine distribution beginning, the University of Kentucky Transplant Center wants to provide guidance about if and when to receive the vaccine. Based on most recent CDC guidelines, UK recommends that lung transplant recipients (at least 6 weeks post-transplant) should take the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, whichever is offered, at the first opportunity. Patients currently on the wait list should also be vaccinated at the first opportunity.

At this time, the transplant clinic does not offer the vaccine and it is unclear if we will have the option once vaccine availability increases. In the meantime, we strongly encourage you to receive the vaccine if offered to you elsewhere.

When vaccinated, you will be less likely to get sick with COVID, and if you do get sick, it may be a less severe form of illness. Transplant recipients are more likely to suffer serious illness or death from COVID compared to the general public, so getting vaccinated has added benefits. Also, by getting vaccinated, you are protecting the people in your household and your close contacts.

Finally, we continue to recommend wearing masks (per CDC guidelines) after vaccination because it is unknown if vaccinated patients will carry COVID asymptomatically if they contract it and spread the virus accidentally.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Please contact your coordinator with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Maher Baz, MD
Medical Director, Lung Transplant Program

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