Sepsis survivors show widely varied vaccine responses in clinical trial
People who have survived sepsis don't respond to vaccines in the same way as those who haven't had sepsis, according to new clinical trial results. The findings suggest more work is needed to understand why the vaccine-related immune response is altered in sepsis survivors so that vaccination programs can be tailored to reduce sepsis survivors' risk of infections and improve long-term health…
Sepsis survivors demonstrate significantly different vaccine reactions compared to those who haven't experienced sepsis, according to a recent clinical trial. This disparity underscores the need for further research into the reasons behind the altered immune response in sepsis survivors, aiming to tailor vaccination programs to mitigate the risk of infections and enhance long-term health outcomes for this vulnerable group.
Survivors of sepsis, particularly those admitted to intensive care units, often face a weakened or altered immune system, elevating their risk of new infections and mortality. Approximately 15% of sepsis survivors succumb within a year of hospital discharge, with an additional 6% to 8% succumbing annually over the subsequent five years.
Despite these grim statistics, routine long-term follow-up care for sepsis survivors remains lacking in the UK healthcare system. Professor Manu Shankar-Hari, a professor of critical care medicine at King's College London and principal investigator of the trial, emphasizes the necessity of investing in post-sepsis care and research to understand how an altered immune response could be targeted to improve outcomes for this vulnerable population.
The VACIRiSS trial, conducted by King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, involved 214 sepsis survivors who were randomly assigned to receive either the PCV13 vaccine or a placebo injection. Following a year of observation, the trial revealed that the vaccine failed to reduce the risk of rehospitalization due to infection or death in sepsis survivors.
Although blood tests indicated that many participants generated immune responses to the vaccine, these responses varied considerably among individuals, influenced by factors such as age, body weight, sex, and pre-vaccination immune system alterations. The trial results suggest that existing vaccination programs may require modifications to better protect sepsis survivors, but more research is essential to comprehend the diverse vaccine responses in this population and inform necessary adjustments.
Written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
