Varicella Study Recruitment

OPTIMIZING VARICELLA IMMUNIZATION IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH SOLID ORGAN TRANSPLANTS TO PREVENT DISEASE AND IMPROVE LONG-TERM HEALTH

Study Recruitment

As you may know, certain vaccinations are not given to children who have had solid organ transplants (SOT) because the immune system can be ‘immuno-compromised’ after receiving a transplant.

Unfortunately, this means that some children are left vulnerable to a handful of vaccine preventable illnesses. However, new research is coming out that shows that, in some cases, children with SOT may in fact be eligible to receive such vaccines – particularly the live varicella zoster virus (VZV) vaccine, which protects against varicella, also known as chickenpox.

As a parent and/or guardian of an SOT patient, researchers are interested in hearing your perspective on this matter. To join this study you will be asked to participate in a 45 minute interview, which will explore your personal views on this topic.

Taking part in this interview is completely voluntary and if you agree to participate you will be given an opportunity to review the transcript of your interview. A $10 gift card will also be provided.

Who are we looking for?
• Parents/Guardians of SOT patients who would like to get VZV vaccine
• Parents/Guardians of SOT patients who are not willing to get VZV vaccine
• Parents/Guardians of SOT patients who are not eligible for VZV vaccine

Please note that we are looking for parents/caregivers of pediatric SOT patients who are being followed and cared for by doctors at BC Children’s Hospital. If a parent is interested in joining, they should email me at bseligman@bcchr.ubc.ca. We are not concerned with whether or not the child received the varicella vaccine in the past because we will still be screening them to see if they require more doses.

For more information, click here: