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VACCINESVaccines for kidney patients andtransplant recipients: which areOK?1Kidney disease and dialysis weaken immunity, and infection is aleading cause of hospitalisation; guidelines advise influenza(yearly), pneumococcal, hepatitis B and COVID-19vaccination.2After transplant, live attenuated vaccines arecontraindicated: MMR, varicella, the older live zostervaccine, yellow fever, nasal-spray influenza.3Inactivated vaccines can and should be given: injectableinfluenza, pneumococcal, hepatitis B, COVID-19, tetanus —usually starting 3–6 months after transplant.4Shingles: the recombinant (non-live) zoster vaccine can be usedin immunocompromised adults; CDC recommends it forimmunocompromised people aged ≥19 — ask your transplant teamabout timing.5Best to complete vaccines before transplant or dialysis (theweaker the kidneys, the weaker the response); vaccinatinghousehold members adds another layer of protection.Bring your vaccination record and ask: "What am I missing, and which ones must Iavoid?"BBeyond CKDbeyondckd.com/en/cards/vaccines-ckd-transplantSources: Danziger-Isakov L, Kumar D; AST ID Community of Practice. Vaccination of solid…Compiled from public clinical guidelines · General education, not individual medical advice
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Vaccines

Vaccines for kidney patients and transplant recipients: which are OK?

"No vaccines after transplant" is a myth — only live vaccines are off-limits; the rest matter even more.

  1. 1Kidney disease and dialysis weaken immunity, and infection is a leading cause of hospitalisation; guidelines advise influenza (yearly), pneumococcal, hepatitis B and COVID-19 vaccination.
  2. 2After transplant, live attenuated vaccines are contraindicated: MMR, varicella, the older live zoster vaccine, yellow fever, nasal-spray influenza.
  3. 3Inactivated vaccines can and should be given: injectable influenza, pneumococcal, hepatitis B, COVID-19, tetanus — usually starting 3–6 months after transplant.
  4. 4Shingles: the recombinant (non-live) zoster vaccine can be used in immunocompromised adults; CDC recommends it for immunocompromised people aged ≥19 — ask your transplant team about timing.
  5. 5Best to complete vaccines before transplant or dialysis (the weaker the kidneys, the weaker the response); vaccinating household members adds another layer of protection.

Bring your vaccination record and ask: "What am I missing, and which ones must I avoid?"

Caption (ready to paste)

"No vaccines after transplant" is a myth — only live vaccines are off-limits; the rest matter even more.

1. Kidney disease and dialysis weaken immunity, and infection is a leading cause of hospitalisation; guidelines advise influenza (yearly), pneumococcal, hepatitis B and COVID-19 vaccination.
2. After transplant, live attenuated vaccines are contraindicated: MMR, varicella, the older live zoster vaccine, yellow fever, nasal-spray influenza.
3. Inactivated vaccines can and should be given: injectable influenza, pneumococcal, hepatitis B, COVID-19, tetanus — usually starting 3–6 months after transplant.
4. Shingles: the recombinant (non-live) zoster vaccine can be used in immunocompromised adults; CDC recommends it for immunocompromised people aged ≥19 — ask your transplant team about timing.
5. Best to complete vaccines before transplant or dialysis (the weaker the kidneys, the weaker the response); vaccinating household members adds another layer of protection.

Bring your vaccination record and ask: "What am I missing, and which ones must I avoid?"

Sources: Danziger-Isakov L, Kumar D; AST ID Community of Practice. Vaccination of solid organ transplant candidates and recipients — Clin Transplant 2019;33:e13563; KDIGO 2024 CKD Guideline — Kidney Int 2024;105(4S):S117–S314; CDC/ACIP — Recombinant zoster vaccine for immunocompromised adults ≥19 y — MMWR 2022;71:80–84
Verified: 2026-10-16

Cards and scripts are general health education compiled from public clinical guidelines. They are not individual medical advice and do not replace assessment by your doctor, pharmacist or dietitian. Please keep the sources and this notice when sharing; this page holds the latest version.
https://beyondckd.com/en/cards/vaccines-ckd-transplant
60-second short-video script

Shot list and voice-over. Vertical 9:16; put captions in the lower third. Every line maps to the sources on the left.

secScreenVoice-over
0–5Vaccine vial + question markNo vaccines after a transplant? Actually, it is the opposite.
5–16Shield icons: flu, pneumococcal, hep B, COVIDKidney disease and dialysis weaken immunity, and infection is a leading cause of hospital stays. Guidelines advise flu, pneumococcal, hepatitis B and COVID-19 vaccines.
16–27Red ✗: MMR, varicella, live zoster, yellow fever, nasal fluWhat you really must avoid after transplant are live attenuated vaccines: MMR, chickenpox, the older live shingles vaccine, yellow fever, nasal-spray flu.
27–37Green ✓: injectable flu, pneumococcal, hep B, COVID; "after 3–6 months"Inactivated vaccines can and should be given: injectable flu, pneumococcal, hepatitis B, COVID-19, tetanus — usually from three to six months after transplant.
37–46"Recombinant zoster vaccine (non-live)"For shingles there is a recombinant, non-live vaccine. CDC recommends it for immunocompromised adults nineteen and over. Ask your transplant team about timing.
46–55Timeline: complete before transplant; household tooBest to complete them before transplant or dialysis — the weaker the kidneys, the weaker the response. Vaccinate the household too for an extra layer.
55–60Site logo + URL + QRBring your record and ask: what am I missing? More at Beyond CKD.

Sources (every point on the card maps to one)

Verified: 2026-10-16