Safety and efficacy of influenza vaccination in renal transplant recipients

This Practice Point commentary discusses Scharpé et al.'s single-center, nonrandomized, prospective trial of influenza vaccination in renal transplant recipients. In total, 165 transplant recipients and 41 healthy volunteers were vaccinated with a standard inactivated trivalent influenza vaccine (containing strains of the A/H1N1, A/H3N2 and B viruses). No rejection episodes or other adverse events were reported in either group. Influenza-specific antibody titers increased in renal transplant recipients following vaccination, as measured by comparison of pre-vaccination and post-vaccination seroprotection and seroresponse rates. This commentary discusses the limitations of the trial, and urges caution in extending the conclusions drawn by Scharpé et al. regarding the safety of the trivalent, non-adjuvant-containing influenza vaccine to newer adjuvant-assisted vaccines. Annual vaccination for influenza by use of the trivalent vaccine strategy without adjuvant should, however, be standard of care for all stable renal transplant recipients who do not have clinical contraindications.