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World J Transplant. Jun 18, 2026; 16(2): 118012
Published online Jun 18, 2026. doi: 10.5500/wjt.v16.i2.118012
Published online Jun 18, 2026. doi: 10.5500/wjt.v16.i2.118012
Not just another shot: Tailoring vaccination in the era of modern liver transplantation
Neven Papic, Iva Kosuta, Anna Mrzljak, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Grad, Croatia
Neven Papic, Iva Kosuta, Vibor Sesa, Viktor Domislovic, Anna Mrzljak, Liver Transplant Unit, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Grad, Croatia
Neven Papic, Dominik Ljubas, Nina Vrsaljko, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Grad, Croatia
Iva Kosuta, Division of Intensive Care, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Grad, Croatia
Vibor Sesa, Viktor Domislovic, Anna Mrzljak, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Grad, Croatia
Sidra Ahsan, Hackensack Meridian Health, Hackensack Meridian Health, Neptune, NJ 07753, United States
Author contributions: Papic N contributed to the literature review, data analysis, interpretation of the evidence, and preparation of the initial manuscript draft; Ljubas D, Vrsaljko N, Kosuta I, Sesa V, Domislovic V, and Ahsan S contributed to the literature review and drafting of the manuscript; Mrzljak A contributed to the conceptualization of the review, drafted the manuscript, provided critical appraisal and substantive revision of the manuscript, and supervised the final content. All authors participated in the writing of the manuscript and approved the final version.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Corresponding author: Iva Kosuta, MD, PhD, Consultant, Division of Intensive Care, Dep
Received: December 22, 2025
Revised: January 19, 2026
Accepted: February 10, 2026
Published online: June 18, 2026
Processing time: 159 Days and 17.1 Hours
Revised: January 19, 2026
Accepted: February 10, 2026
Published online: June 18, 2026
Processing time: 159 Days and 17.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Vaccination remains an underused preventive strategy in patients with cirrhosis and liver transplant recipients, despite a substantial burden of vaccine-preventable infections. Vaccine immunogenicity declines with advancing liver disease and is further reduced after transplantation due to immunosuppression, making early, pre-transplant immunization particularly important. Optimizing vaccine timing, formulation, and follow-up can support better integration of vaccination into standard liver transplant care. Novel vaccine platforms may improve immune responses in immunosuppressed patients, but their role in liver transplant recipients requires validation in dedicated clinical studies.