Yikes. Vaccines at birth.
Normally, I don’t post things verbatim. I usually send a link, but this article is not available online yet, and I think it’s too important to not pass along. I’m pretty sure that there is a reason that the newborn immune system functions as it does, and I think it’s scary to mess with something that sensitive.
Vaccines for newborns ‘on the horizon’
Source: Blood 2006; Not yet available online
Assessing the immunologic effects of stimulating toll-like receptors in newborns.
US researchers think they have found a way to boost the immune system of babies so that they can be vaccinated at birth rather than at 2 months of age.
Newborns have an immature immune system, which means they respond poorly to vaccines and are initially vulnerable to infection.
But Ofer Levy, from the Children’s Hospital Boston in Massachusetts, and team say that a receptor on the surface of certain white blood cells could be targeted to boost their immunity.
Previous research has shown that Toll-like receptors (TLR) form the first line of defense against infection by triggering the production of cytokines, which activate other immune cells.
Assessing the functionality of the 10 TLRs in newborns, the researchers found that, when most were stimulated, the immune response was extremely impaired. However, one of the receptors, TLR8, triggered adult levels of cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha, in response to agents mimicking viral antigens.
“These findings suggest that agents that stimulate TLR8 could be used to enhance immune response in newborns, perhaps as adjuvants given along with vaccines,” said Levy.
“From a global perspective, if you can vaccinate at birth, a much higher percentage of the population can be covered,” Levy added.
