Transplant Australia has written to the Federal Minister for Health, The Hon. Greg Hunt, supporting calls for transplant recipients and others with compromised immune systems to receive additional booster shots to protect against COVID-19.
We highlighted a number of studies which revealed an alarming low antibody response rate in some transplant recipients while also referring to other studies which have shown a third and even fourth booster shot greatly improves protection for recipients. You may have seen that the UK and USA has already announced booster shots for the transplant community.
We are supporting the good work of the Rapid Response Taskforce on COVID and Organ Donation and the Organ & Tissue Authority in recommending additional protection for recipients. The Government’s COVID scientific body, ATAGI, is currently assessing the evidence.
We asked the Minister to specifically include the needs of the immune-compromised in the National Plan to transition out of lockdown. Currently this roadmap is silent on what will happen for vulnerable members of the community when the vaccination rate hits 70 and 80 per cent of the general population.
Finally, we highlighted the great response of recipients to embrace vaccination as revealed in our survey which more than 1,500 recipients responded. The summary of that survey can be reviewed here: TA Vaccination Survey of Transplant Recipients
In the meantime time, and once again, please stay safe.
Chris Thomas
CEO
Transplant Australia
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