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
This is great news Chris.
Is there a way for transplant patients to contact ATAGI directly to advocate for booster shots ? With NSW scheduled to start opening within a few weeks many transplant patients are vulnerable.
I am also concerned that many transplant patients are unaware that they may not have had a good response to their Covid vaccines. Is there a way to help spread the word to everyone ?
We will be running another webinar within the next 4wks to proved update on these matters.
Thanks for organizing this Matty.
I think the EU approved a third Pfizer shot from 28 days after the 2nd does for those immunocompromised. (Euronews/Haystack News).
Lt Gen. JJ Frewin is talking about “Later this year” for the small cohort. (ABC News).
Thanks again, Mark
Thanks Mark, We will be running webinar about the update of COVID Vaccination in Australia for recipients on Wednesday 3rd November.
Hi!
Just wondering how we can sign up for this Webinar, please?
Thanks
Alana
Hi Alana, You can register at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_C0JyC6vyQhGL70uPRF-HQg
To Note – I think there has been some confusion with registration site above between Webinar Transplant talk/ mental wellbeing and Webinar Covid 3rd Dose / Shot. Thanks for keeping us up to date on clear information. Cheers.
You can find all the information on the talks here: – https://transplant.org.au/transplant-active-transplant-talk/
I received the email with the attachments to register for the 2 webinar meetings on October 20 and November 3 which I signed up for but I don’t know much about Zoom so will I receive information about that before they take place?
Hi Alan, You will need to download Zoom onto your computer or phone, Once that’s done you just click on the link you received via email on the night.