Implication of malaria infection on the immune response to vaccination

Abstract: Both genetic and environmental factors can influence the ability to mount and maintain an effective immune response, and the immune response to vaccination can vary significantly between ethnic groups and different geographical locations. Underlying infections is one factor with the potential to influence vaccination outcome. We have here reviewed the literature on the implication of malaria infection on vaccine-induced immune responses. We identified 86 articles on the subject, 24 were included in the review, 18 were human studies and six were animal studies. The combined literature review is not conclusive, with results of unclear implication of malaria infection on the response to vaccination. Five out of six animal studies indicated impaired response to vaccines in malaria infected individuals, while the human studies showed no evident impact. Our findings underscore the need to evaluate vaccines in different groups and that more research is needed to understand how vaccines are affected by chronic infections such as malaria.