Individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are vulnerable to vaccine-preventable infections due to impaired immunity, immunosuppressive treatments and dialysis. Protection of CKD patients by vaccination is hampered by reduced efficacy of vaccines and safety concerns for transplant candidates or recipients. 'Cocooning' vaccination policies, targeting the protection of a vulnerable individual through immunization of close contacts, have recently been introduced for infants and, to a lesser degree, for high-risk groups of immunocompromised individuals. In this article, we discuss the potentiality of implementing cocoon strategies for the high-risk group of CKD patients and conclude that this not yet officially recommended policy can substantially contribute to protection against infection and motivate vaccination among families and healthcare workers.
Keywords: chronic kidney disease; cocooning; dialysis; renal transplant recipients; vaccination; vaccine-preventable disease.