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. 2019 Jul 25;15(8):869–878. doi: 10.1080/1744666X.2019.1642748

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© 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

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Figure 1. — Challenges to neonatal immunization related to characteristics of the newborn immune system. Differences in the neonatal immune system have an effect on increased susceptibility to infection and decreased vaccine efficacy. The recognition of infectious agents is reduced in early life and it is therefore easier for a pathogen to invade the host. Neonates are also less experienced so have no immune memory against infection. (2) Decreased vaccine efficacy. In a similar fashion to infection, reduced recognition of vaccine antigens as foreign means that induction of protective memory responses to vaccines are reduced. There is also an effect of maternally derived antibody that may mask key epitopes of the vaccine. Therefore, a successful vaccine formulation should be able to circumvent or overcome the functional peculiarities of the neonatal period. Abbreviations: APC = Antigen-presenting cells. (Refs [13,16,27]).