Antibiotic exposure in infants could impair their responses to five important routine vaccines administered daily around the world, new research has found.
“We have showed that the bacteria in the gut (the microbiome) are important in shaping the strength of the infant immune system,” Associate Professor Lynn says.
Vaccinations come second only to clean water as the most effective frontline strategies available for preventing infectious diseases.
However, Associate Professor Lynn says the findings support the need to strengthen and repair the healthy gut bugs by replacing them with transplants, prebiotics and probiotics, in food and suitable medications.
In mice, restoring a healthy gut microbiome after antibiotic exposure rescued the impaired vaccine responses.
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“Antibiotic stewardship is clearly of great value, especially in the neonatal setting,” he says. »