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Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) suppresses immunity by complex pathways, initiated by chromophores located in the skin and ending with the generation of specific subsets of T and B regulatory cells. The primary and memory (recall) immune response to a wide variety of antigens, including microorganisms, can be reduced by UVR, leading to the possibility that the efficacy of vaccination could be similarly reduced. A limited number of animal models of vaccination demonstrate that this may indeed be the case. The situation in human subjects has not been rigorously assessed but there are indications from a variety of sources that UVR adversely affects the immune responses to several vaccines. These studies are reviewed and the implications for vaccine administration discussed. As vaccination represents a major public health measure world-wide for the control of an increasing number of common infections, it is important to maximise its efficacy; therefore further evaluation of UVR in the context of vaccination is required and warranted.

Item Type:	Review Several Works
Research Division:	Medical and Health Sciences
Research Group:	Immunology
Research Field:	Cellular Immunology
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Clinical Health (Organs, Diseases and Abnormal Conditions)
Objective Field:	Immune System and Allergy
Author:	Woods, GM (Professor Gregory Woods)
ID Code:	74253
Year Published:	2011
Web of Science® Times Cited:	16
Deposited By:	Menzies Institute for Medical Research
Deposited On:	2011-11-16
Last Modified:	2011-11-16
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