In this episode, I’ll discuss why vaccines shouldn’t be given in the 14 days immediately post-splenectomy.
This recommendation is based on a small study of 59 splenectomy patients where vaccine response at 1, 7, and 14 days post-splenectomy were compared.
Better functional antibody responses against the serogroup and serotypes studied seemed to occur with delayed (14-day) vaccination. In fact, with one exception, all titers for the 14-day group approached those of the control subjects.
Some clinicians will count vaccines given within the 14 day post-splenectomy period as valid, while others will consider repeating these vaccinations at a date about 8 weeks in the future.
Members of my Hospital Pharmacy Academy have access to my practical training on vaccines and splenectomy. Members also get access to the entire training library covering critical care, emergency medicine, infectious disease, and general hospital pharmacy, plus many more resources to help you in your practice. Get all the details and join today at pharmacyjoe.com/academy.
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