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ESRD and COVID-19 VACCINATION

2024-03-28T20:57:20-04:00June 30th, 2023|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Immunizations, Kidney Transplant, Physical Health, Staying Healthy|Tags: |

By V. Scantlebury, MD, FACS, DPC Education Center Healthcare Consultant Patients with ESRD have a reduced response to immunizations compared to the general population. This is because the response of their immune system is suppressed, leading to the inability to adequately form an antibody response or maintain antibody titers over time.  The low antibody response appears to be correlated with the degree of kidney failure. Despite the inadequate antibody response, getting vaccinated is still recommended and is most important for patients who are immunocompromised. Just as the annual influenza vaccine is updated every year to cover the most prominent strains of [...]

8 Ways to Be a Safe Patient

2024-03-28T20:57:28-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Immunizations, Medication, Physical Health, Resources, Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen|

When you have surgery, receive dialysis, or visit your doctor, you deserve safe care. Everyone plays a role in patient safety and quality health care. CDC and its partners provide expertise, data, and programs for safe health care to support public health, healthcare workers, patients, and caregivers. How Can I Be a Safe Patient? Speak up. Talk to your healthcare provider about any questions or worries. Ask what they’re doing to protect you from infections. Keep hands clean. Make sure everyone, including friends and family, cleans their hands before touching you. If you don’t see your healthcare providers clean their [...]

COVID is Surging Again

2024-03-28T20:57:40-04:00January 4th, 2023|Categories: eNews, Immunizations, Physical Health|Tags: |

We are now at the end of the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic and once again in a winter surge. According to data from the CDC, hospitalizations have surpassed what was seen this past summer and for people 60 or older – the group most vulnerable to more severe infection, that number has drastically increased since mid-November. In part, this latest surge can be attributed to XBB.1.5, the latest Omicron subvariant, which has evolved to be better at evading immunity from both vaccination and previous infection. There are other factors that play into the surge though, including time of year [...]

Will the COVID-19 Pandemic Ever End?

2024-03-28T20:57:59-04:00August 1st, 2022|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Immunizations, Mental Health, The Kidney Citizen|Tags: |

By Alan S. Kliger, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, and Chair, Excellence in Patient Care Advisory Committee, American Society of Nephrology Updated October 2022 Some recent quotes I’ve heard - - - I’ll bet you have too: “Who can even pay attention when the subject of COVID-19 is raised?” “Enough already – I’m through with it” “What’s the difference? Even with vaccines and boosters, I still got COVID twice!” After nearly three years of this pandemic, COVID-19 infection has gone from a frightening and deadly disease to a major disruptor of our lives, to [...]

Just how accurate are rapid antigen tests? Two testing experts explain the latest data

2024-03-28T20:58:02-04:00July 1st, 2022|Categories: eNews, Immunizations, Staying Healthy, Uncategorized|Tags: |

Once in short supply, rapid antigen tests are now available throughout the U.S. Nathaniel Hafer, UMass Chan Medical School and Apurv Soni, UMass Chan Medical School As of May 2022, the U.S. is experiencing another uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases. High rates of infection in Europe and Asia, along with the continued emergence of new sub-variants, such as omicron BA.4 and BA.5, raise concerns that another surge could be on the way. Even though demand for COVID-19 tests greatly overwhelmed supply earlier in the pandemic, rapid home tests are more available today. While home tests provide a quick, [...]

COVID.gov Launched by the White House

2024-03-28T20:58:30-04:00April 1st, 2022|Categories: eNews, Immunizations, Resources|Tags: |

On Wednesday, March 30th, the White House launched a new website, https://www.covid.gov/, that will be its one-stop shop for questions on masks, treatment, vaccines, testing, and where to find and order resources. Users can search by county to access the latest COVID-19 Community Level in their area, and can click on links that take them directly to the CDC’s site for guidance on staying up-to-date with vaccines, when to get tested, and additional precautions that can be taken for those at high risk for severe illness, such as those who are immunocompromised. The site is designed to be accessible to a [...]

Identifying Health Misinformation

2024-03-28T20:58:34-04:00March 1st, 2022|Categories: eNews, Immunizations, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Physical Health|Tags: |

Over the last two years, people have been exposed to a lot of information, from many different sources, regarding COVID-19. There are many reputable sources for health information, such as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO). However, there has been a recent rise in health misinformation, which caused confusion about vaccination and other public health measures, such as masking and social distancing. Although health misinformation is not new, with more people having access to the internet and various social media platforms, it has spread in recent years at an unprecedented rate. In order to keep yourself, [...]

COVID-19 and Patients with Kidney Disease on Dialysis

2024-03-28T20:58:35-04:00February 25th, 2022|Categories: Dialysis, Employment, eNews, Immunizations, Kidney Transplant, Lifestyle, Mental Health|Tags: |

By Alan Kliger, MD Updated March 18, 2022 I am writing this mid-March 2022, as the last peak of COVID infection with the Omicron variant has rapidly fallen in every US state, but wastewater analysis has shown places in the US where virus infection in some communities is rising again. A new sub-variant, BA.2 is making up about 23% of cases. Abroad, the United Kingdom is seeing increasing hospitalizations with COVID infection, and many locations in the far east have raging infections. The effects of the surge in Omicron cases around the world this past winter have deeply affected [...]

Up-to-Date vs. Fully Vaccinated – What to Know About COVID-19 Vaccination

2024-03-28T20:58:36-04:00February 7th, 2022|Categories: eNews, Immunizations|Tags: |

With Omicron continuing and the possibility of new variants in the future, it is important to not only be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but also receive a booster dose, when eligible, so that you are up-to-date. Someone is considered fully vaccinated when they have received their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines. In order to be considered up-to-date, a person has to have received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster(s) when eligible. The recommendations provided by the CDC will be different for everyone, depending on age, health status, and when you received your first vaccine. It is important to note that [...]

COVID-19 Vaccines for Immunocompromised People

2024-03-28T20:58:53-04:00October 22nd, 2021|Categories: eNews, Immunizations, Kidney Transplant, Staying Healthy|

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, ongoing studies help inform healthcare professionals about the different immune responses and reactions among various groups within the population. Data has shown that people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised are especially vulnerable to the virus due to the inability to build the same level of immunity after vaccination as non-immunocompromised people. Small studies have also found that immunocompromised people made up a large portion of breakthrough cases requiring hospitalization, suggesting they could be more likely to transmit COVID-19 to other members of their household. Given this information, the CDC recommends that moderately to severely immunocompromised [...]

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