[Vaccination and malnutrition]

Although a depressed cellular immunity may be present in proteino-energetic malnutrition, humoral immunity is usually normal. Except for vaccines acting through a stimulation of cellular immunity like BCG, infants and children with malnutrition show a normal immune response to immunisations without a majoration of the side-effects. Consequently there is no contra-indication to immunisations in malnourished infants and children. Early immunisation before the age of one should be encouraged in countries where malnutrition in children is frequent.