Last updated: October 05, 2026
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Vaccination recommendations for people with kidney disease can vary across the course of CKD and may require additional considerations for patients receiving dialysis or immunosuppressive therapy and for kidney transplant recipients. These resources are designed to support clinical conversations, patient education, and shared decision making around vaccination.
Discussing Vaccines With Your Patients: Living with Kidney Disease
A Guide for Healthcare Professionals
Use this teaching card to guide conversations with patients about vaccines and kidney disease. It includes practical talking points to help explain why vaccination is important, discuss vaccine schedules and boosters, address common concerns, and make vaccine conversations more approachable.
The tool emphasizes that kidney disease can weaken the immune system and increase the risk of serious infection. It also provides guidance for discussing vaccination early in the course of kidney disease and considerations for people receiving dialysis or immunosuppressive therapy.
[Access the professional teaching card via a promo banner] Text: Helps healthcare professionals discuss vaccines, address common concerns, and support informed decisions with patients.
Vaccine Patient Education and Resources
Share these NKF resources with patients and care partners to reinforce conversations about vaccines and kidney health.
Vaccines and Kidney Disease: Stay Protected and Stay Healthy
This Kidney Topic explains why vaccines are especially important for people with kidney disease, including people receiving dialysis or living with a kidney transplant. It covers vaccine safety and effectiveness, common barriers and concerns, and questions patients can discuss with their healthcare team.
Vaccines and Your Kidneys and Heart
This patient resource explains how vaccines can help protect people with kidney disease from serious illness and describes the connection between kidney and heart health. It also provides questions patients can use when talking with their healthcare team about vaccine recommendations, dosing, timing, and vaccines they may need to avoid.
[Promo Banner Download: Helps healthcare professionals discuss vaccines, address common concerns, and support informed decisions with patients.]
Vaccines & Kidney Disease: A Guide for Care Partners
This resource helps care partners understand why people with kidney disease may be more vulnerable to infections and how vaccination can help. It includes practical ways care partners can support vaccination, such as talking with the healthcare team, keeping vaccine records, and helping household members stay up to date on recommended vaccines.
It also provides questions care partners can bring to healthcare visits, including questions about vaccines needed because of kidney disease, vaccines to avoid, and vaccination before kidney transplant
[Link Download: Vaccines & Kidney Disease A Guide For Care Partners]
Vaccines and Kidney Disease Video
Share this short patient education video to help explain the importance of vaccination for people living with kidney disease and reinforce conversations with the healthcare team.
[Promo Banner: Watch Vaccines and Kidney Disease] Text for promo banner: Simple animation that explains how vaccines help protect people with kidney disease and supports conversations with their healthcare team.
Additional NKF Vaccine Information
Healthcare professionals can also direct patients to NKF's comprehensive vaccine and kidney disease information for more information about vaccine safety, effectiveness, common concerns, and questions to discuss with their healthcare team.