Maternal antibodies and infant immune responses to vaccines

doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.07.085

Vaccine

Volume 33, Issue 47, 25 November 2015, Pages 6469-6472

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.07.085 Get rights and content

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Abstract

Infants are born with immature immune systems, making it difficult for them to effectively respond to the infectious pathogens encountered shortly after birth. Maternal antibody is actively transported across the placenta and serves to provide protection to the newborn during the first weeks to months of life. However, maternal antibody has been shown repeatedly to inhibit the immune responses of young children to vaccines. The mechanisms for this inhibition are presented and the impact on ultimate immune responses is discussed.

Keywords

Maternal antibody

Transplacental transfer

Vaccine responses

Inhibition of vaccine responses