A vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus is reported by McKenney et al.
(Science 294: 1523, May 28, 1999) to be near fruition.
I wonder how a vaccine can possibly work in light of the following. Many
patients get S. aureus septicemia from central venous access ports. The
experience of infection ought to be far more immunogenic that exposure to
selected antigens. Both a humoral and a cutaneous response are found in
cases of line sepsis. Yet S. aureus septicemia does not render a patient
immune to further line septicemias. Multiple infections are possible. If
previous infection with S. aureus in not sufficient to develop protective
immunity, how can there be any hope that a vaccine can provide such
protection?
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Lee Altenberg, Ph.D.
Fax: (808) 875-0348
E-mail: SPaltenberAM at santafe.edu (delete SPAM)
Web: http://pueo.mhpcc.edu/~altenber/
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