COVID-19 Vaccine Information for Dialysis Patients

COVID-19 is a serious health threat and the situation is evolving daily. In these uncertain times, it’s normal to feel anxious, especially for those with underlying health conditions. Talking to people you can trust and getting the information you need can help. 

The Kidney Foundation, in partnership with The Canadian Society of Nephrology is proud to present a webinar specifically for dialysis patients - COVID-19 Vaccine Information for Dialysis Patients.  

This webinar will give you the opportunity to ask questions to some of Canada’s leading nephrologists and dialysis specialists about the vaccine and to hear from a dialysis patient about his experiences with being on dialysis during the pandemic.

Feb 10, 2021 11:00 AM

 

WATCH WEBINAR



 

Dr. Matthew Muller

Dr. Matthew Muller is an infectious diseases physician and the Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control at St. Michael’s Hospital. He is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Medicine. His research interests are focused on the epidemiology and previous of hospital-acquired infections including C. difficile, infections due to common antibiotic-resistant organisms and emerging infectious threats such as MERS-CoV. Dr. Muller has a particular interest in hand hygiene measurement and improvement including the use of novel technological approaches to hand hygiene improvement. Dr. Muller chairs the Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee on Infection Prevention and Control, and is also interested in guideline and policy development with respect to infection prevention for Ontario hospitals. 

 

Dr Jeffrey Perl  

Dr Jeffrey Perl is a staff nephrologist at, St Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He received his Master of Science in Epidemiology from The Harvard School for Public Health. He is a prior recipient of The John Maher Young Investigator Award by the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis and has received several teaching awards at The University of Toronto and St. Michael’s Hospital. He serves as the current editor-in-chief of Peritoneal Dialysis International.  He is also chair of the home dialysis subcommittee of the American Society of Nephrology COVID-19 response team. His primary research interests and clinical practice focuses on improving the survival and quality of life for patients on home dialysis. Dr. Perl is a primary investigator in The International Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (PDOPPS) and principal investigator of the Optimizing the Prevention of Peritoneal Dialysis Associated Peritonitis in The United States (OPPUS) study. 
 

Vince Andrews

At the age of 22, Vince, experiencing significant pain in his side, was sent for what he thought was a routine test.  He was told that both his kidneys were filled with cysts, some of them quite large.  Hospital admittance was already arranged for a biopsy the following day. Vince was diagnosed with PKD.  He was advised that the progression of the disease was such that by the time he reached the age of 50, he would need a transplant, or dialysis.  The good news is that they were right, and he made the most of the next 28 years.  The bad news is that they were right, because when he turned 50, he started dialysis within a few weeks. 

Vince has been on hemodialysis (four hours, every other day) for almost eight years, the last three of them at home.  He lives his life as fully as possible, and tries not to let the illness define or control him.  When he is honest with himself, he says it is overwhelming at times, physically, and especially emotionally. 

Vince has been on the transplant list for almost seven years, waiting and hoping for the gift of life. 
 

_{The Kidney Foundation, would like to thank our sponsors for making the 2021 Kidney Foundation Webinar Series possible.}