Antibiotics use in children below 2 years tied to reduced vaccine response: Study
New York: Antibiotic use in children aged 6 to 24 months is associated with reduced vaccine-induced antibody levels to several vaccines, states a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics.
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.
Against the above background, Timothy J. Chapman, Center for Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Rochester General Hospital Research Institute, Rochester, New York, and colleagues observed children aged 6 to 24 months in a cohort study from 2006 to 2016. A concurrent retrospective, unplanned secondary analysis of the medical record regarding antibiotic prescriptions and vaccine antibody measurements was undertaken.
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.
The study led to the following findings:
- In total, 560 children were compared (342 with and 218 without antibiotic prescriptions).
- Vaccine-induced antibody levels to several DTaP and PCV antigens were lower in children given antibiotics.
- A higher frequency of vaccine-induced antibodies below protective levels in children given antibiotics occurred at 9 and 12 months of age.
- Antibiotic courses overtime was negatively associated with vaccine-induced antibody levels.
- For each antibiotic course the child received, prebooster antibody levels to DTaP antigens were reduced by 5.8%, Hib by 6.8%, IPV by 11.3%, and PCV by 10.4%, and post booster antibody levels to DTaP antigens were reduced by 18.1%, Hib by 21.3%, IPV by 18.9%, and PCV by 12.2%.
To conclude, "Antibiotic use in children <2 years of age is associated with lower vaccine-induced antibody levels to several vaccines."
"We provide new evidence to suggest caution about overprescribing antibiotics because an adverse effect seems to extend to a reduction in vaccine responses," wrote the authors.
Reference:
Chapman TJ, Pham M, Bajorski P, Pichichero ME. Antibiotic Use and Vaccine Antibody Levels. Pediatrics. 2022 Apr 27:e2021052061. doi: 10.1542/peds.2021-052061. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35474546.
