General principles of vaccination under immunosuppression

Abstract

The number of patients suffering from immunodeficiency is increasing; however, the vaccination rate of these patients is below average. Administration of inactivated vaccines is harmless but does not reliably trigger apersistent immune response. Live vaccines provide a reliable protection but can cause severe disease in immunocompromised patients. Live vaccines can be administered under defined levels of immunosuppression, e.g. against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV). In addition, the immunization of the domestic environment plays an important role in preventing infectious diseases.