Factors influencing innate immunity and vaccine responses in infancy |
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| Authors: | Beate Kampmann Christine E Jones |
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| Affiliation: | 1.Vaccines and Immunity Theme, MRC Unit, The Gambia, Atlantic Road, Fajara, The Gambia;2.Academic Department of Paediatrics, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London, UK;3.Paediatric Infectious Diseases Research Group, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St George''s, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, UK |
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| Abstract: | Despite significant progress in reducing the burden of mortality in children under the age of five, reducing mortality in newborns remains a major challenge. Infection plays a significant role in infant deaths and interventions such as early vaccination or antenatal immunization could make a significant contribution to prevention of such deaths. In the last few years, we have gained new insights into immune ontogeny and are now beginning to understand the impact of vaccines, nutrition and environmental factors on ‘training′ of the immune response in early life. This review article sets out to explain why vaccine responses can be heterogeneous between populations and individuals by providing examples chosen to illustrate the impact of host, pathogen and environmental factors on shaping the immune ‘interactome′ in young children. |
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| Keywords: | immune ontogeny vaccine responses maternal immunization BCG vaccine |
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