Vaccination in patients with immunosuppression

Abstract

In congenital or aqcuired immune deficiencies, infectious diseases which can be prevented by vaccination have a severe course because of supression of the immune system by the disease itself or the treatment methods used. Therefore, vaccination is important in immune deficiency. Although the protective antibody levels achieved in healthy individuals cannot be provided in patients with immune deficiency, there is no drawback in administering inactive vaccines in accordance with the vaccination program. On the other hand, live viral and bacterial vaccines should not be administered during periods of immunosupression in conditions where the immune system is strongly supressed by diseases or drugs, since they would cause to systemic infection. Physicians should have sufficient knowledge about contraindications of vaccination in individuals with immune deficiency and in people who live in the same house with these individuals.