Holiday/Travel Vaccinations

WARNING — Review of this information is overdue. It may be out of date.

You have received a renal transplant and are taking drugs to prevent your body from rejecting your kidney. These immunosuppressant drugs make it unsafe for you to receive certain holiday vaccines.

Check the following lists to see if the vaccinations you have been advised to receive before your holiday are safe for you!!!

The following applies to adults only.

Vaccines which are SAFE to receive include:-

• Diptheria
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Immunoglobulins
• Influenza
• Meningococcus
• Pertussis
• Inactivated Polio injection ('special order only')
• Pneumococcal
• Rabies
• Tetanus
• Typhoid injection

Vaccines which you should NOT receive are the “LIVE” vaccines and these include:-

• BCG
• Measles, mumps and rubella
• Oral polio
• Oral typhoid
• Yellow fever
• Rubella

Up to date information on which vaccines are needed to travel to different areas is available from your doctor or local pharmacy.

Malaria Prophylaxis

It is always best to check with your GP, practice nurse or specialist travel health centre before you travel, as the tablets recommended will vary depending on the country you are visiting.

If you have kidney disease, the doses of malaria tablets you will need may differ from other travellers. You should always check with your renal doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you are not sure what dose to take.

Chloroquine: 300mg (as base) once a week. You will need to take your tablets for one week before travel, whilst away, and four weeks after returning.

Proguanil: the dose will need to be altered depending on your renal function (see table below). Your renal team will be able to tell you what your creatinine clearance is and can check the dose for you. You will need to take your tablets for one week before travel, whilst away, and four weeks after returning.

Mefloquine: tablet once a week. You will need to take your tablets starting three weeks before travel, whilst away and four weeks after returning. Mefloquine can only be obtained on a private prescription (even if you don’t pay for your prescriptions), but your GP can prescribe this for you.

NKF Controlled Document No. 71, Holiday/Travel Vaccinations, written 22 April 2000. Last reviewed 12 January 2010.

The National Kidney Federation cannot accept responsibility for information provided. The above is for guidance only. Patients are advised to seek further information from their own doctor.

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