Antibiotics significantly reduce the level of antibodies built up by vaccination in young children, according to a study by researchers at the Rochester General Hospital Research Institute. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that antibiotics can reduce the effectiveness of vaccinations, particularly in babies and toddlers. The researchers examined 560 children aged between six and 24 months, with 342 of them receiving antibiotics during the study period. The study found that antibiotics significantly reduced the level of antibodies against ten antigens from four vaccines. This could increase the risk of infections caused by the pathogens against which the children were vaccinated.
The study suggests that antibiotics can alter the microbiome of the gut, killing bacteria that contribute to the immune system’s function. This imbalance can lead to a reduced immune response to vaccinations. Professor Ulrich Schaible from the Leibniz Centre for Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Borstel commented that the study was scientifically sound and that the results were not in doubt. The study’s lead author, Timothy J. Chapman, recommends that antibiotics such as Amoxicillin and Clavulanate should be administered to young children for only five days instead of ten. Cornelia Gottschick from the Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics at the University of Halle-Wittenberg suggests that probiotics could be used to protect the gut microbiome during antibiotic treatment.
The study highlights the importance of using antibiotics only when medically necessary and for the shortest possible duration. It also suggests that healthcare professionals should consider the potential impact of antibiotics on vaccinations when prescribing them to young children. The findings could have significant implications for public health, particularly in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, where vaccination is crucial in controlling the spread of the virus.
