Nothing to sneeze at: efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the influenza vaccine in patients receiving long-term dialysis.

摘要

Patients treated with long-term dialysis are immu-nosuppressed. Both cellular and humoral immunity are affected by the uremic state, and dialysis patients are more likely to contract and die of infection. Although the most common infections in this population are associated with dialysis access, there is also increased morbidity and mortality due to viral infections, including influenza. Unfortunately, as chronic kidney disease progresses, patients are also less able to develop a protective immune response to some vaccines. This is well demonstrated in the case of the hepatitis B vaccine, but is less clear for the seasonal influenza vaccine.