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Published on: August 7, 2017
Variability in Vaccine Response and Trajectory in Early Childhood and Association With Demographic Variables,
Michael E Pichichero1, Eduardo Gonzalez1, Andrew Cox1
1Center for Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Research Institute, Rochester General Hospital.
Insights
Individual antibody responses to childhood vaccines vary and can change over time. Lower vaccine responsiveness is linked to more antibiotic use and increased risk of bacterial infections.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Antibody responses to vaccines are crucial for immunity.
- Variability in vaccine response exists among children.
- Understanding early life immune development is important.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore individual antibody response variability to multiple vaccines in early childhood.
- To assess longitudinal changes in vaccine responsiveness.
- To determine associations between demographics, antibiotic exposure, and vaccine response, and link responsiveness to infection risk.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 357 children (6-36 months).
- Measured antibody levels to 13 vaccine antigens at multiple time points.
- Categorized children into vaccine responder groups (very low to high) and collected demographic/antibiotic exposure data.
Main Results:
- Antibody levels showed individual persistence and changes post-immunization.
- Daycare non-attendance and African American/multiracial ethnicity were associated with higher antibody levels.
- Lower antibody levels correlated with increased antibiotic exposure and more frequent bacterial infections.
Conclusions:
- Individual vaccine response groups can be persistent or change over time.
- Demographic factors and antibiotic exposures influence vaccine responsiveness.
- Reduced vaccine responsiveness is associated with increased risk of bacterial infections.
Background:
We sought to explore the variability of antibody responses to multiple vaccines during early life in individual children, assess the trajectory of each child longitudinally, determine the associations of demographic variables and antibiotic exposures with vaccine-induced immunity, and link vaccine responsiveness to infection proneness.
Methods:
In 357 prospectively recruited children, aged 6-36 months, antibody levels to 13 routine vaccine antigens were measured in sera at multiple time points and normalized to their respective protective thresholds to categorize children into 4 groups: very low, low, normal, and high vaccine responders. Demographic variables and frequency of antibiotic exposure data were collected. Participants were followed to determine change in vaccine groups over time and occurrences of infections.
Results:
Vaccine-induced antibody levels persisted over time as very low, low, normal, or high in individual children and changed post-primary through post-booster immunizations against multiple antigen types, including toxoids, purified proteins, polysaccharide-protein conjugates, recombinant proteins, and inactivated viruses. Factors influencing persistence or change in vaccine response group were assessed. Children who did not attend daycare and African American/multiracial children had higher vaccine-induced antibody levels than White children. Children with lower vaccine-induced antibody levels had more frequent antibiotic exposures. Low vaccine responsiveness was linked to more frequent antibiotic-treated bacterial infections.
Conclusions:
When vaccine-induced antibody levels are used to define vaccine response groups, individual children may persist or change groups over time, which is associated with demographic variables and influenced by antibiotic exposures. Lower vaccine responsiveness can be linked to more frequent antibiotic-treated bacterial infections.
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