FA16 Immunization Module’s Updates

Vaccinating immunosuppressed persons

Vaccinating patients who are immunosuppressed can be very tricky. Due to their compromised immune systems, vaccines could potentially do more harm than good. Vaccines can either be live (active) or inactivated. Giving an immunocompromised patient an inactivated is thought to be relatively safe for the patient. Examples of these vaccines are TDaP (Tettanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis) and influenza vaccines. Since the virus has been killed, it does not pose a threat to the patient. However, the downside to this is the requirement of boosters and even with boosters, the immune response may not be optimal.

Live vaccines such as MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) and OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine) should never be given to immunosuppressed patients. You would essentially be injected an active virus into a patient who will not be able to defend against it. Although there are speical rules and guidelines about each vaccination and how immunosuppressed a patient is, severely immunosuppressed person should never receive live vaccines.

Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00023141.htm

  • Tyler Johnson
  • Richard Tapping
  • Douglas Grove