The paper by Cowan and colleagues describes humoral and cellular responses to the 2010 and 2011 influenza vaccine in both kidney transplant recipients as well as healthy controls. The authors assess the humoral immune response by ELISPOT and serological assays and the T cell response by IFNg ELISPOT.

The most important end-point of influenza vaccination is to obtain a sufficient level of protective antibodies. The blunted antibody response in transplant recipients has been described several times, as recently reviewed by Eckerle et al (Plos One 2013). The cellular response to influenza in both kidney and lung transplant recipients has been previously described by Danzinger-Isakov et al (Transplantation 2010), alongside data on its impact on the alloimmune response. Although clearly written, the paper seems to lack novelty and its impact for clinical practice is questionable