[Influenza vaccination in immunocompromised patients]

Abstract

Immunocompromised patients are extra sensitive to serious influenza infections. A compromised immune system in these patients also results in an impaired immune response following influenza vaccination. Recently, many vaccination studies have been carried out in patients with HIV, patients treated with rituximab or a tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha blocker, patients with malignancies, and in patients following allogeneic stem cell transplantation for haematological malignancy or following solid organ transplantation. In most patient groups influenza vaccination induces a sufficiently high antibody titre. Patients using rituximab, patients who recently received a stem cell transplantation and patients treated with active cytotoxic chemotherapy may show an insufficient antibody response following influenza vaccination. In general, adapted vaccination strategies such as repeated administration of a vaccine or administering a higher dose of vaccine antigen results in a better immune response following vaccination.- Therefore, influenza vaccination is recommended for all patient groups.