A study published in JASN revealed that after the COVID-19 vaccination, the immune responses of individuals with kidney failure and undergoing dialysis were capable of providing protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe disease.

Researchers analyzed the health records for 13,759 individuals undergoing maintenance dialysis between December 21, 2020, and June 30, 2021. Among them, 17% were unvaccinated and 83% had received at least one mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose. People who had received one vaccine dose were 41% less likely to become infected and 46% less likely to develop severe illness, requiring hospitalization to leading to death. People who had received two vaccine doses had a 69% and 83% lesser likelihood of getting infected and developing severe disease, respectively.

Matthew Oliver, from the University of Toronto in Canada, said that the results showed that 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine provided significant protection and prevented hospitalizations and deaths. This would help to reduce the burden on the families and the whole healthcare system. (ET Healthworld, March 11, 2022)