Journal Club - Antibiotics in children below 2 years to cause low vaccine response

Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Published On 2022-05-05 04:45 GMT | Update On 2024-02-16 06:31 GMT

The majority of children are given antibiotics in the first 2 years of life when vaccine-induced immunity develops. Previous studies have shown a negative association of antibiotic use with vaccine-induced immunity in adults, but there is a lack of data on children.

According to a recent study published in thejournal Pediatrics, antibiotic use in children aged 6 to 24 months is associated with reduced vaccine-induced antibody levels to several vaccines. A concurrent retrospective, unplanned secondary analysis of the medical record regarding antibiotic prescriptions and vaccine antibody measurements was undertaken and was observed in children aged 6 to 24 months.

The researchers performed antibody measurements relative to diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP), inactivated polio (IPV), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and pneumococcal conjugate (PCV) vaccines.

It was found that out of a total of 560 children 342 with and 218 without antibiotic prescriptions, vaccine-induced antibody levels to several diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis and pneumococcal conjugate antigens were lower in children who were given antibiotics.

A higher frequency of vaccine-induced antibodies below protective levels in children given antibiotics occurred at 9 and 12 months of age. Hence, it was concluded that Antibiotic use in children less than 2 years of age is associated with lower vaccine-induced antibody levels to several vaccines. Therefore, there should be caution about overprescribing antibiotics because an adverse effect seems to extend to a reduction in vaccine responses.

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Dr. Nandita Mohan

Dr. Nandita Mohan is a practicing pediatric dentist with more than 5 years of clinical work experience. Along with this, she is equally interested in keeping herself up to date about the latest developments in the field of medicine and dentistry which is the driving force for her to be in association with Medical Dialogues. She also has her name attached with many publications; both national and international. She has pursued her BDS from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore and later went to enter her dream specialty (MDS) in the Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry from Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences. Through all the years of experience, her core interest in learning something new has never stopped. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

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Journal Club - Antibiotics in children below 2 years to cause low vaccine response

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