Kidney transplant and dialysis patients have poor responses to COVID-19 vaccines

COVID-19 vaccinations have shown remarkable protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in individuals around the world.  However, recent evidence has suggested that immune compromised and organ transplant patients have poor immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines. Hector Rincon-Arevalo, Eva Schrezenmeier, Thomas Dörner and colleagues looked at antibody, plasmablast, and memory B cell responses in healthy, dialysis, and kidney transplant patients before and after the COVID-19 mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine.  They found that patients had poor antibody and B cell responses to the vaccine, suggesting these patients may not be sufficiently protected against SARS-CoV-2 infection.  Thus, different vaccine strategies need to be developed to sufficiently protect dialysis and kidney transplant patients against COVID-19.