title: Group B streptococcal conjugate vaccines.
abstract: Linkage of bacterial capsular polysaccharides to proteins to create conjugate vaccines has had a dramatic impact on the health of children. Although unconjugated polysaccharides are poorly immunogenic in infants and some older children and adults, their covalent coupling with proteins stimulates T cell dependent antigenic recognition that profoundly enhances immunogenicity. In the decade since the introduction and widespread use of Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide conjugate vaccines in the United States, invasive H influenzae infections have become a rarity in childhood. Similarly, the conjugation of polysaccharides of Streptococcus pneumoniae to a derivative of diphtheria toxoid and the addition of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to infant immunisation schedules carries with it promise for a similar decline in the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease in paediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D019741:Haemophilus influenzae type b / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000379:methods; D007223:Infant; D008004:Licensure; D008297:Male; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D012703:Serotyping; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022541:Streptococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000276:immunology*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000276:immunology; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D022541:Streptococcal Vaccines; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate