Disseminated vaccine-induced varicella infection in a kidney transplant recipient

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Abstract

A 33-year-old kidney transplant (KT) recipient presented with a disseminated pruritic, painful, vesicular rash and hepatitis 3 weeks after receiving a varicella vaccine (VAR). A skin lesion biopsy sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for genotyping confirmed vaccine-strain varicella-zoster virus (VZV) (Oka strain; vOka). The patient was successfully treated with intravenous acyclovir during a prolonged hospital stay. This case supports the contraindication of VAR in adult KT recipients and highlights the potential for severe illness when used in this population. Optimally, VZV-seronegative KT candidates should receive VAR before starting immunosuppressive medications. If this opportunity is missed, the recombinant varicella-zoster vaccine might be considered following transplantation as it is already recommended to prevent herpes zoster in VZV-seropositive immunocompromised adults. Further study is needed as data are limited on the safety and efficacy of recombinant varicella-zoster vaccine for primary varicella prevention in VZV-seronegative immunocompromised adults.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1806-1810
Number of pages5
JournalAmerican Journal of Transplantation
Volume23
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2023

Keywords

  • immunocompromised
  • kidney transplant
  • recombinant zoster vaccine
  • solid organ transplant
  • varicella vaccine
  • varicella-zoster virus

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Transplantation
  • Pharmacology (medical)

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