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AIP Pocket Guide Information
Promoting Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccinations for People with Kidney Diseases
7 links
- Vaccination rates are very low — very few dialysis patients in the U.S. are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.
- Rates for morbidity and mortality are high: (1) About half of all people with kidney disease had a hospital stay in the first 30 days of a COVID-19 diagnosis and (2) People with kidney diseases were twice as likely (compared to people without kidney diseases) to die within 90 days of a COVID-19 diagnosis.
- COVID-19 poses unique risks to people with kidney diseases: (1) People on dialysis can have weaker immune systems, making it harder to fight infections and (2) People with kidney diseases are at higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness.
- COVID-19 had a huge impact on the kidney patient population: An impact so significant (so many patients died) that for the first time in the 50-year history of the Medicare End-Stage Renal Disease program, the total number of people on dialysis in the United States declined.
- COVID-19 vaccines are safe. Over 50 years of NIH-supported laboratory research converged to develop the science and safety of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
- Many years of research led to the COVID-19 vaccines. The science behind the COVID-19 vaccines was NOT rushed. In fact, these vaccines were developed after decades of scientific research.
- All of the traditional steps for testing, evaluation, and review were completed thoroughly. Vaccine developers did not cut corners – they cut government “red tape.” Because the pandemic was a true global emergency, there was a worldwide effort to remove usual bureaucratic hurdles.
The Benefits of Being Vaccinated Against COVID-19
2 links
- Prevents serious illness: COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are safe and effective at protecting people from becoming seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying.
- A safer way to build protection: Receiving a COVID-19 vaccine is a more lasting way to build protection than immunity after being sick with a COVID-19 infection. Vaccine-induced immunity offers protection against severe illness for at least six months. Infection-induced immunity diminishes after 90-days.
Promoting Vaccines: Know Facts and Bust Myths
4 links
- Myth: “I had a COVID shot last year.” — Fact: The current vaccine formulation is different from previous years and must be used to fight this year’s COVID-19 variant.
- Myth: “I will get sick from the COVID shot.” — Fact: Acknowledge some people may experience mild side effects (i.e., soreness or minor swelling) and give assurance that the vaccine does not cause illness and does not contain a “live virus.
- Myth: “I feel healthy, so I don’t have to worry.” — Fact: As a dialysis patient or a staff member of a facility, you may be more vulnerable to infections, hospitalizations, complications, or spreading COVID-19.
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CDC / Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) Resources
Standards
5 links
Administration
2 links
Schedules
8 links
- CDC Adult Immunization Schedule
- CDC Stay Up-to-Date With Your Vaccines
- CDC What Vaccines Are Recommend for You
- CDC Extra Precautions – People with Medical Conditions
- Vaccine Recommendations and Guidance of the ACIP – List of Errata/Updates
- Renal Disease and Adult Vaccination
- Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule by Medical Condition
- Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule for ages 19 or older
COVID-19 Immunization
Recommendations
3 links
ASN Resources
4 links
Articles
5 links
- Kidney360: Oral Agents and SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Effectiveness against Severe COVID-19 Omicron Events in Patients Requiring Maintenance Dialysis
- American Journal of Kidney Diseases: SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Effectiveness and Breakthrough Infections Among Patients Receiving Maintenance Dialysis
- Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: “SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Acceptability in Patients on Hemodialysis: A Nationwide Survey”
- Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: “Collaboration between Dialysis Providers and the American Society of Nephrology: Dialysis in the COVID Pandemic”
- Low circulation of antibodies correlates with risk for COVID-19 among patients on dialysis
COVID-19 Therapy/Medications
2 links
Immunization Tools
For Professionals
7 links
- Protect Yourself and Others from COVID-19, Flu, and RSV
- Healthcare Provider Toolkit: Preparing Your Patients for the Fall and Winter Virus Season
- Resources to Prepare for Flu, COVID-19, and RSV
- Sample Vaccination Policy Statement
- Clinical Outreach and Community Activity (COCA) Calls/Webinars
- Immunization Action Coalition
- 2021 Chronic Health Conditions Surveys – Gap– Between Healthcare Professionals and Adult Patients
For Patients
1 link
Influenza Immunization
Recommendations
2 links
Articles
4 links
- American Journal of Kidney Diseases: “Mortality of Dialysis Patients According to Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccination Status”
- American Journal of Kidney Diseases: “Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccination in Dialysis Patients: Merely a Shot in the Arm?
- Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: “High-Dose Seasonal Influenza Vaccine in Patients Undergoing Dialysis”
- Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: “Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Seasonal Influenza Vaccination among Dialysis Facilities in the United States”
Pneumonia Immunization
