All pre- and post-transplant patients are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and get additional vaccine doses as they become available.
A complete primary vaccine series for solid organ transplant recipients involves three doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Three doses of vaccine offer better protection for people who are immunocompromised. A three-dose series is safe and recommended for transplant recipients who have never been vaccinated. If you were vaccinated before your transplant, you may have only received two doses and that is acceptable.
Transplant recipients (age 6 months and up) may have also received additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine starting approximately six months after their primary vaccine series. It is highly recommended to get an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose this spring 2024.
Spring 2024 COVID-19 Additional COVID-19 Vaccine Dose
An additional vaccine dose starting in the spring of 2024 is expected to increase protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 symptomatic and severe disease that has waned since the last COVID-19 vaccination or SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends patients to wait at least 6 months after their last dose to get another dose. However, a shorter interval of at least 3 months (i.e., a minimum interval of 3 months) has not been shown to pose a safety risk and may be used to support program implementation (including timing of the spring campaign relative to previous and future fall campaigns).
For the pediatric population, an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for age five years and older, at least six months after the primary series. (COVID-19 vaccines for children and youth | Immunize BC)
If you recently had COVID-19, you should wait at least six months to get your additional COVID-19 vaccine dose.
Register with www.getvaccinated.gov.bc.ca or the BC Vaccine Line (call 1-833-838-2323) to be notified when to book each vaccine dose.
The BCCDC has the most current information about getting a vaccine.