NKF: Patients with kidney disease should be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccines
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The National Kidney Foundation has released a statement urging the federal government to grant priority to patients with kidney disease and their contacts for receipt of COVID-19 vaccines.
According to the statement, it is a matter of “ethical allocation,” because this patient population is at high risk for severe outcomes if they contract the virus.
“We urge the federal government to prioritize kidney patients and kidney care professionals, along with residents of long-term care facilities and health care workers, in receiving access to COVID-19 vaccines to reduce their increased risk of severe morbidity and mortality caused by the novel coronavirus,” the NKF wrote.
The statement also addressed which subsets of patients and caregivers should be most prioritized, with those receiving in-center dialysis, as well as staff members, being at the top of the list.
“While dialysis facilities are a practical site for vulnerable kidney patients to be vaccinated, facilities may not have the supplies to safely store the vaccine,” the NKF wrote of potential distribution plans. “It is vital that dialysis facilities, among other sites where kidney patients receive care, have the support and supplies needed to expeditiously implement priority vaccinate practices.”
Other high-risk groups the NKF recommends receive “prompt” vaccination include the following:
- patients on home dialysis;
- patients who have received a kidney transplant;
- patients with kidney disease who are also immunosuppressed;
- other patients with chronic kidney disease; and
- individuals who reside in the same household as a patient with kidney disease.
The NKF stressed that because certain populations in the United States have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic — including Black and Hispanic communities — focus should be placed on vaccinations for these individuals.
Further, the statement called for greater inclusion of patients with kidney disease in vaccine-related research and trials.
“It is worth noting ... that few of the vaccine candidates were widely tested in individuals with kidney disease or in transplant recipients,” the organization wrote. “NKF calls on policymakers, vaccine manufacturers and developers to carefully monitor and collect data on vaccine safety and efficacy among kidney patients to ensure patient safety and to inform future vaccine development.”
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