SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in cardiothoracic organ transplant recipients: effective strategies wanted

Since end of 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread from Wuhan, China to the rest of the world, leading to more than 160 million confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with more than 3.3 million deaths worldwide [1]. COVID19 results in a spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic to critical illness including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multiorgan failure, which are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Factors that increase risk for an adverse disease course include older age and the presence of comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, morbid obesity, coronary heart disease, and chronic lung disease [2]. Solid organ transplant (SOT) patients are considered to be at high risk for complications from COVID-19 because of the high prevalence of the comorbidities that have been established as risk factors for severe disease, as well as a higher risk of infection due to their immunosuppressed status [3, 4]. Current data on the clinical course of COVID-19 in immunocompromised patients are limited.