Recommendations on immunization of patients with conditions associated with general or limited immunodeficiencies

Abstract

A revision of the literature was made as to the recommendations given for the use of vaccines and immune globulins in persons who presented total or partial immunodeficiency, mainly related to the nineties. The analysis of 75 references led to the following principal conclusions: the vaccines containing living agents are generally inappropriate for persons who present conditions wich determine serious inmunodeficiency; the vaccines wich contain dead agents or only antigenic fractions, despite their being less immunogenic and confering lower rates of protection to severely immunocompromised persons as compared to normal persons, are safe and should be administered to them. Immunocompromised patients should receive immune globulins for the same indications and in the same doses as immunocompetent persons, with the exception of immune globulin to prevent measles, as recommended in a dosage of 0.5 mL/Kg for immunodeficients (15mL, maximum).