Durability of Antibody Response after Primary Pneumococcal Double-Dose Prime-Boost Vaccination in Adult Kidney Transplant Recipients and Candidates: 18-Month Follow-Up in a Non-Blinded, Randomised Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND: Pneumococcal prime-boost vaccination is recommended for solid organ transplant recipients and candidates. The long-term durability of the antibody (AB) response is unknown. The same applies to a dose-dependent immune response.

METHODS: We studied the durability of the vaccine response after 18 months in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) and patients on the kidney transplant waiting list (WLPs). Both groups received either a normal dose (ND) or a double dose (DD) of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. The average pneumococcal AB geometric mean concentration (GMC) was evaluated. A level ≥ 1 mg/L was considered protective against invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD).

RESULTS: Sixty WLPs and 70 KTRs were included. The proportion of participants protected declined from 52% to 33% in WLPs and from 29% to 16% in KTRs, with the previously significant dose-effect in WLPs no longer present (40% DD vs. 27% ND; p = 0.273). Average pneumococcal AB GMCs remained significantly above baseline levels (all groups p ≤ 0.001). Drug-induced immunosuppression diminished the vaccine dose-effect.

CONCLUSIONS: At follow-up, the pneumococcal prime-boost vaccination still provided significantly elevated average pneumococcal AB GMCs in both populations. Though the proportion of participants protected against IPD in WLP-DD and WLP-ND were statistically comparable, a DD may still be recommended for WLPs (EudraCT: 2016-004123-23).