Immunizations after transplant

[vickij]

Has anyone had to have new immunizations after transplant ? If so how long did you have to wait after transplant and where did you get them ? My transplant Dr said I would need them but didn't say when. It has been almost 2 yrs since SCT. My hemo Dr says I should have them now. My family Dr got list of ones I need from transplant Dr, her nurse called yesterday and said they got the list but can't do them at her office and I should check with Health Dept. I didn't know this would be so complicated.

[bailie]

I am surprised that it is "that complicated". I had my flu shot about five months following SCT and a pneumonia shot at about seven months. Both in the same clinic as my SCT doctor. Some shots (those with a live virus) need to wait.

[DonnaM]

I am almost 18 months post BMT (Nov., 2013.) My immunization schedule began at 12 months (DaPT#1, pneumococcal), 13 months (meningococcal, HIB#1, Hep A#1.) The shots continue at 14 months, 16 months, 22 months, 24 months, 25 months, and 30 months. I don't know if this follows an infant's schedule, but this is what they do at the Center for Cell & Gene Therapy at Methodist Hospital in Houston. It is all included in my follow-up care at the clinic. I love that place.

[DanL]

I think that the rule of thumb on immunizations is that they follow the infant schedule, meaning that you don't start until about 12 months and then continue at month 13, 18, and 24.

Problem is that if you have issues like gvhd or residual disease, the decision becomes more difficult as to when to start. I am now about 15 months post-transplant, but we are still not talking about doing immunizations because of my continued GVHD and relatively suppressed immune system. some of the vaccines have a correlation with suppressed blood counts and production, so we are waiting in my case as all of my numbers are below normal, but not at transfusion levels.

Long answer to the quick question - it seems to follow the childhood vaccination schedule, but each person's status with MDS, Relapse, GVHD, blood counts, etc means that there is quite a bit of art to getting the timing right.

[vickij]

I am going to call transplant center and try to talk to the Dr there. He is the one that can tell me when and where to get shots. It is hard to reach him, I have to go through his nurse because he is also a professor at IU Medical School. I don't know why he hasn't mentioned immunizations yet. I hate having to deal with so many different Drs.

[GoodDay5150]

Hi Vicki. I had a STC in 2011 for PNH. I'm pretty sure that they wait abt 18 mos or so to re-immune you. Mine were done 3 times, 5 shots each time if I rem correctly. I'm talking abt the usual shots that a child wld get in addition to flu shots or wtvr. I got mine from my trans doc, and as far as I rem neither my HMO that I used to have nor my new primary doc ever sd anything, so I just asked my trans doc. I've found that most dr's are pretty open and welcoming abt any ques abt the whole STC proc, so any one of them that you ask can advise you. Good luck in your post treatment.

Mario