Passive immunization for infection with Haemophilus influenzae type b.
Haemophilus influenzae type b is the leading cause of meningitis in children younger than 5 years of age in the United States. The incidence of infection with H influenzae type b in certain populations, such as Apache and Navajo Indians and Alaskan Eskimos, is 10 to 20 times higher than in the general US population. Another important feature of H influenzae type b infections in these populations is that more than 80% of the cases occur during the first year of life, with 35% to 45% occurring during the first 6 months. One of the currently licensed vaccines that contains the capsular polysaccharide of the H influenzae type b organism is not reliably immunogenic in infants younger than 18 months of age. A number of new H influenzae type b vaccines prepared by covalently coupling the H influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide with a protein carrier antigen are undergoing clinical evaluation. One of these conjugate vaccines was shown to be efficacious in preventing disease caused by H influenzae type b in Finnish infants when they were immunized at 3, 4, and 6 months of age. Unfortunately, in a recently concluded trial, the same vaccine was not found to be efficacious in preventing such disease in infants younger than 1 year of age among the Alaskan Eskimo population. We have evaluated an alternative approach for protecting high-risk infants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Santosham
M
M
Dept. of International Health, Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205.
Reid
R
R
Letson
G W
GW
Wolff
M C
MC
Siber
G
G
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D004168:Diphtheria Toxoid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007198:Indians, North American; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D011897:Random Allocation; D014481:United States
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D004168:Diphtheria Toxoid; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; C052180:Haemophilus influenzae type b-polysaccharide vaccine-diphtheria toxoid conjugate; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial