Kidney patients have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection - vaccinations reduced the need for hospitalization

A study led by Professor Patrik Finne and the doctoral dissertation of Bachelor of Medicine Hanna Helanne focused on patients (5,755) in the Finnish Registry for Renal Diseases who were on dialysis or had a kidney transplant. These patients are at greater risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19 compared to healthy people. 

The study assessed how the COVID-19 vaccine would prevent hospitalization and mortality in patients receiving renal replacement therapy compared to unvaccinated persons. 

Each research subject had 10 control persons of the same age, sex and municipality of residence. During the years of the study 2020–2022, 1,713 kidney patients and 10,702 control persons contracted an infection caused by COVID-19. 

Infections in kidney patients more severe and vaccine effectiveness lower

COVID-19 vaccinations significantly reduced the risk of kidney patients becoming hospitalized, but not as effectively as in control persons. More than three booster vaccines reduced the mortality rate of kidney transplant patients by 62% compared to unvaccinated patients. 

In patients receiving dialysis treatment, 2–3 vaccine doses reduced the risk of hospitalization by 47 per cent and in kidney transplant patients by 50 per cent. In control persons, COVID-19 vaccines prevented three out of four hospitalizations. 

The COVID-19 infections of dialysis patients were more severe than those of the control persons and their vaccine efficacy was lower. However, the vaccines prevented the hospitalization of every other patient. Booster vaccines reduced the risk of death significantly especially in kidney transplant patients.  

Kidney patients are in the target group of the autumn booster vaccine. 

Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination among dialysis and kidney transplant patients compared to matched controls – a nationwide cohort study” was published in the Clinical Microbiology and Infection journal