IMMUNIZATIONS AFTER BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION - RESULTS OF A EUROPEAN SURVEY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE INFECTIOUS-DISEASES WORKING PARTY OF THE EUROPEAN GROUP FOR BLOOD AND MARROW TRANSPLANTATION

Increased numbers of recipients of BMTs and autologous BMTs are becomi ng long-term survivors, Existing data support that loss of protective immunity to agents such as tetanus and poliovirus is common in patient s who received BMTs and autologous BMTs. Thus, a reimmunisation progra mme is needed to ensure immunity, A questionnaire concerning immunisat ion practices was sent to EBMT member centres, The immunisation practi ces varied extensively in the 59 responding BMT and 48 responding auto logous BMT centres, Sixty five per cent of responding centres routinel y immunise patients who received allogeneic BMTs whereas 37% were rout inely immunising recipients of autologous BMTs, Tetanus toroid and ina ctivated poliovirus vaccine were the most frequently used vaccines in both BMT and autologous BMT centres, Immunisations of recipients of bo th BMTs and autologous BMTs with tetanus toroid, diphtheria toroid, in activated poliovirus vaccine and influenza vaccine are recommended, Ot her vaccines, and in particular live attenuated vaccines, may be consi dered on an individual basis.