title: Why actively promote vaccination in patients with cirrhosis?
abstract: Patients with cirrhosis are immunocompromised and have an increased risk of infection, with a worse outcome. Some of those infections may be prevented by vaccination. Immunization can reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with cirrhosis. Immunizations against hepatitis A and B viruses, influenza and pneumococcus are recommended by the French Haute Autorité de Santé since 2007. Vaccination against hepatitis A is recommended in non-immunized cirrhotic patients. Vaccination against hepatitis B is recommended in every cirrhotic patient with no serological markers, and post-vaccinal antibodies titer should be checked. Annual influenza immunization can be done in cirrhotic patients, and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine should be repeated after 3-5 years. Few data regarding vaccination coverage are available, but studies suggest that immunization rates are too low in this population.
authors.affiliation: Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de médecine, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Loulergue
authors.forename: Stanislas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pol
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mallet
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sogni
authors.forename: Odile
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Launay
mesh_terms: D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000517:prevention & control; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D014765:Viral Vaccines