[Recommended vaccines and immunoglobulins for immunocompromised patients]

A revision of the literature was made as to the recommendations given for the use of vaccines and immune globulins in persons who presented total or partial immunodeficiency, mainly related to the nineties. The analysis of 75 references led to the following principal conclusions: the vaccines containing living agents are generally inappropriate for persons who present conditions which determine serious immunodeficiency; the vaccines which contain dead agents or only antigenic fractions, despite their being less immunogenic and conferring lower rates of protection to severely immunocompromised persons as compared to normal persons, are safe and should be administered to them. Immunocompromised patients should receive immune globulins for the same indications and in the same doses as immunocompetent persons, with the exception of immune globulin to prevent measles, as recommended in a dosage of 0.5 mL/Kg for immunodeficients (15 mL, maximum).