Pediatric kidney transplantation part 62

What should you do if your child is in school or day care with other children who may have received live vaccine?

Talk to your school or day-care provider about your child's condition. For most situations the live vaccine in other children or adult will not cause harm to your child. If your child has had an organ transplant, talk with your doctor about possible exposure to children who have received oral polio vaccine or smallpox vaccine or other live vaccines.

Some schools or activity programs may need a letter explaining why your child has not had live virus vaccine. Your family doctor or pediatrician or the transplant team can provide this letter

Pediatric kidney transplantation part 61

IMMUNIZATIONS

On occasion some transplant centers will give life vaccines under certain conditions such as when an outbreak is occuring; however this should be done ONLY with strict observations and oversight of the transplant center.

Common live vaccines are:

• Chicken pox (varicella)
• Smallpox
• Oral polio
• Rotavirus
• Measles/mumps/rubella (MMR)
• Influenza drops into the nose (influenza nasal mist, FluMist)

Other family members and your child's classmates can safely get the chickenpox, rotavirus and MMR vaccines. On rare occasions a child will break out with a rash after the chikenpox vaccine. If this happens call the transplant team to discuss. Most often it is not contagious or it is only mildly contagious. Other household members should not get the oral polio vaccine. Only the inactive polio vaccine called IPV should be used.

Pediatric kidney transplantation part 60

LIVE VACCINES

In general your child should not have "live vaccines" after transplant as they may cause disease in someone taking immunosuppression medications,

This is why whenever possible vaccinations should be updated BEFORE transplantation.

Pediatric kidney transplantation part 59

Different vaccine doses or schedules

Because your child's immune system is suppressed (or weakened) by medications, your child may need different doses or schedules of some vaccines. Some school and community vaccinations programs may not be able to provide a different vaccine dose. In this case, your family doctor or pediatrician will need to give these to your child instead. Talk to your transplant team about what is needed for your child.

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IMMUNIZATIONS

When should we start immunizations after transplant?

It is very important that your child get their immunizations (vaccine or "shots") after a kidney transplant to prevent infection.

Children with  kidney transplant can usually start or continue their routine vaccines  four to six months after their transplant. It is best to wait until then, as the immunizations may not work properly if they are given any sooner. This is because  child has a much weaker immune system right after the transplant due to their immunosuppressant medications.

Every child situations is unique, however, and some children may need to wait longer before they get their shots. The transplant team will work with your pediatrician or family doctor to make sure your child is immunized properly and will tell you the best time to start or continue immunizations for your child.

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IMMUNIZATIONS

Do family members need immunizations?

Your child may not be able to get all immunizations such as live vaccines after transplantation ands immunizations may not work as well after your child has had a transplant. For this reason it is very important that all close contacts, particularly family members who live in the same household have all their immunizations up to date.

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IMMUNIZATIONS

Why does your child need immunizations?

Getting immunizations helps protect children from serious disease. Some children with kidney disease may have missed some of their immunizations. They could have been ill at the time or on medications that weaken the immune system. Vaccines work better before transplantation and some (live vaccines) cannot be given after transplant. Your child's kidney doctor will make every effort to make sure that your child is up-to-date on his or her immunizations before getting a kidney transplant. Please check with your child's doctor and the transplant team on which ones your child needs before the transplant.