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Vaccine-acquired rotavirus in infants with severe combined immunodeficiency

Niraj C Patel1, Paula M Hertel, Mary K Estes

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Section of Allergy and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

The New England Journal of Medicine
|January 29, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Live rotavirus vaccine may pose risks for infants with severe combined immunodeficiency. Three infants developed rotavirus infections, with vaccine strains detected, raising safety concerns for immunocompromised patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Vaccinology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Live pentavalent human-bovine reassortant rotavirus vaccine is standard for infant immunization in the US.
  • Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a group of rare genetic disorders that affect the immune system.

Observation:

  • Three infants with SCID experienced dehydration and diarrhea post-rotavirus vaccination.
  • Two of the infants presented with failure to thrive.

Findings:

  • Rotavirus was detected in stool samples from all three infants via RT-PCR.
  • Gene sequencing confirmed the presence of vaccine rotavirus strains in the infected infants.

Implications:

  • These findings suggest a potential safety concern for administering rotavirus vaccines to severely immunocompromised infants.
  • Further investigation is warranted to assess the risks and benefits of rotavirus vaccination in this vulnerable population.

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