Antibody responses against pneumococcal polysaccharide antigens in vaccinated persons.
The pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine protects healthy adults from pneumococcal infections. High-risk patients have generally impaired antibody responses and are only partly protected by vaccine. Infants less than 2 years old respond poorly to pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. But the pneumococcus is an important bacterial pathogen in young children and a protective vaccine is needed for this age group. The immunogenicity of capsular polysaccharides may be enhanced by preparing protein-polysaccharide conjugates and these preparations would help in the development of more effective vaccine for prevention of pneumococcal disease.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial