Question

Patients with SLE should receive an influenza vaccination every year and a pneumococcal vaccination every 5 years. Why?

Answer 1

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): It is an autoimmune disease characterized by the abnormal inflammatory responses towards the body’s own cells. This is a systemic condition characterized by fever, weakness, arthritis, skin rashes, pleurisy, and kidney dysfunction. The people are at increased risk of developing infections because their immune system is compromised. So, it is important to prevent the occurrence of infections to the maximum possible extent by vaccination.  

The genetic reassortment (mixing of genetic material) is possible with the influenza virus as its genome consists of eight RNA segments. Previously, the occurrence of influenza pandemics was evidenced by the reassortment between the human and avian virus forms, and also the recent H1N1 outbreak is also a result of genetic reassortment.

It is important to take influenza vaccine every year because the influenza viruses adapt to the developed immunity (by genetic reassortment) and evolve new virions that are not sensitive to the previous vaccines. So, influenza vaccines are released every year according to the newly evolved strains.

Similarly, the pneumococcal vaccine should be taken every five years to maintain the immunity against this infection.