Third Covid-19 vaccine shot offers better protection for transplant patients

In 10 seconds? A third, booster shot for transplant patients can significantly improve their protection against Covid-19. Early on in the pandemic, transplant patients have been recognised as possibly being at a higher risk for severe diseases and death. Their immune response to Covid-19 vaccines was also questionable.

What does the new research say? A randomised trial with 120 transplant patients has found that a third dose offered better protection, with a response rate of 55%, compared to 18% in placebo. The percentage of virus neutralisation was also higher, with 76% in booster shot recipients compared to 13% in placebo. The number of Covid-19 specific immune cells (T cells) was also greater after a third vaccine shot. In this trial patients with no prior Covid-19 diagnosis received two doses of mRNA vaccines and were divided into two groups, where one received a third dose of the vaccine while the other group received a placebo.