Successful COVID‐19 vaccination for patients on dialysis in Vilnius County

Abstract

To the Editor:The coronavirus disease , caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been a major burden on healthcare systems and communities worldwide. It required fast response, transformation of hospitals, and a change of our habits.Many studies have found that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a risk factor for a more severe course of COVID-19, unfavorable outcomes, with patients receiving dialysis having the highest mortality across all studied factors. [1][2][3] In addition to higher mortality, more adverse outcomes, and severe course of the disease, COVID-19 was more prevalent in patients with CKD receiving dialysis. A cross-sectional study in the United States proved that seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibodies was higher in dialysis patients compared to the general public. This demonstrates that patients on dialysis may also be the source of community spread of COVID-19. 4,5 Patients receiving in-center hemodialysis cannot isolate or pause their treatments, resulting in interrupted dialysis schedules or emergent dialysis sessions and even death. 6 With safe vaccination options becoming widely available across the world, there is no doubt that patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) should be among the first to be immunized. After extensive discussions, Lithuanian

Immunological and clinical efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in immunocompromised populations: a systematic review

“…Thirty-three studies reported immunogenicity in 6302 patients on dialysis ( Table S4 ) [ [15] , [16] , [17] , 21 , 31 , 38 , 44 , [62] , [63] , [64] , 74 , 78 , 80 , [114] , [115] , [116] , [117] , [118] , [119] , [120] , [121] , [122] , [123] , [124] , [125] , [126] , [127] , [128] , [129] , [130] , [131] , [132] , [133] , [134] ]. Non-responder rates ranged from 2% to 30% ( Fig.…”