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HIV-Infected Children Who Receive HAART Require Revaccination: Researchers
Source: News-Medical.Net
09/02/2010
Researchers led by Dr. William Moss of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reviewed 38 published studies about HIV-infected children receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to reduce morbidity and mortality and found that revaccination against preventable diseases may be necessary. Published in the September issue of the Lancet Infectious Diseases, the study indicates that these children remain vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases, though immunity may be preserved if HAART is started in infancy prior to their routine vaccinations. “Because of the progressive effects of HIV infection on the ability of the immune system to mount an effective response, many infected children have poorer responses to vaccines than do uninfected children. In addition, fewer children infected with HIV achieve protective immunity, and those who do might experience greater and more rapid waning of immunity,” says Moss, who recommends monitoring of protective immunity levels.
