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| | | ![]() Vaccinations in Children With HIV Possible if HAART is Initiated Early WASHINGTON, DC -- April 27, 2009 -- Vaccination against measles and tetanus can be successful in children born with HIV if the children receive highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) within the first year of life, according to a study published in the April 28 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Simone Pensieroso, MD, Department of Public Health, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy, and colleagues showed that suppressing HIV with HAART during the first year can enable a child to develop the B cell defenses necessary for vaccination. The authors analysed B cell numbers and levels of antibodies against several common pathogens following vaccination in a cohort of 70 children born with HIV who had either received HAART during the first year of life, years later, or not at all. The authors found that B cell count and antibody titers against measles and tetanus were consistently higher -- over the threshold necessary for protection -- in children with HIV who received HAART in the first year rather than later or never. The results suggest that vaccination can be successful in HIV-positive children as long as they receive HAART early, the authors concluded. SOURCE: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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