2025 Volume 62 Issue 1 Pages 46-51
Post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) vaccination is recommended. However, the current status of posttransplant vaccination in Japanese children remains unclear.
The HSCT Committee of the Japanese Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology conducted a nationwide multicenter questionnaire survey on posttransplant vaccination. Of the 85 centers that requested participation in the surveillance, 57 responded to the questionnaire. All centers were aware of the Japanese Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy guidelines, and 49 centers (88%) implemented posttransplant vaccination policies. The criteria for initiating inactivated and live vaccines included improving chronic graft-versus-host disease (34/49 and 39/49 centers, respectively), completing immunosuppressive therapy (34/49 and 40/49 centers, respectively), and progressing two years post-HSCT (36/49 for live vaccines only). Immunological indicators were used in 27/49 and 37/49 facilities for inactivated and live vaccines, respectively. Based on the number of vaccinations, many centers administer measles-rubella, varicella, and other vaccines according to the guidelines. Contrastingly, the number of unspecified vaccinations in the guidelines, such as the Japanese encephalitis vaccines, remains unknown.
This study revealed that many facilities followed the posttransplant vaccination guidelines. Although there are no specific regulations for these guidelines, many facilities use immunological indicators. With various transplantations, further information is necessary to tailor vaccinations according to an individual’s immune status.
