Revaccination — Engraft

Around 6 months after transplant, the immune system may be strong enough to begin receiving vaccines again. This process helps rebuild protection against common infections, especially those you were vaccinated for before transplant. However, timing depends on your recovery---patients with GVHD or those on extended immunosuppression may need to wait longer.

Why it matters

Transplant wipes out previous immunity---your body needs to relearn how to fight infections
Vaccines help protect against serious illnesses like pneumonia, flu, measles, and COVID-19
A timely schedule reduces risk as you re-enter school, work, or public spaces

💡Tips

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Ask your care team for a personalized vaccine timeline

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Keep a vaccine tracker to stay organized

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Let schools or workplaces know about your immune status

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Be patient---some vaccines may be delayed based on your immune recovery

🩺Questions to Ask Your Care Team

Bring these to your next appointment

When can I safely start vaccines again?

Which vaccines come first, and which are delayed?

Will GVHD or my medications affect the schedule?

Are there any vaccines I should avoid or repeat?

💬What I Wish I'd Known

From families who've been there

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That revaccination is a multi-step process, not a one-time event

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That live vaccines may be off-limits depending on immune status

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That tracking symptoms and lab results helps guide timing

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That it's okay to ask for reminders, summaries, or written plans

🔗Resources

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Vaccination of the Stem Cell Transplant (SCT) recipient and the Hematologic Malignancy patient

Kamboj, Mini, and Monika K. Shah. "Vaccination of the stem cell transplant (SCT) recipient and the hematologic malignancy patient." Infectious disease clinics of North America 33.2 (2019): 593.

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Vaccine schedule recommendations and updates for patients with hematologic malignancy post-hematopoietic cell transplant or CAR T-cell therapy

Reynolds, Gemma, Victoria G. Hall, and Benjamin W. Teh. "Vaccine schedule recommendations and updates for patients with hematologic malignancy post‐hematopoietic cell transplant or CAR T‐cell therapy." Transplant Infectious Disease 25 (2023): e14109.