Impaired Response to Pneumococcal Vaccine in Hodgkin's Disease

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Abstract
To the Editor: Siber and his co-workers1 raise doubt about the ability of pneumococcal vaccine to protect post-splenectomy patients with Hodgkin's disease from pneumococcal infection. The following case illustrates the reality of such concern.A 25-year-old woman was diagnosed as having Stage IIISE lung B mixed-cellularity Hodgkin's disease in April, 1976. Because of a large mediastinal mass she was given irradiation (2700 rads) in a mantle field before splenectomy. She was then treated with our combination-drug and radiation protocol.2 Drugs were given for six months (mechlorethamine hydrochloride [nitrogen mustard], vincristine, vinblastine, procarbazine and prednisone), and then irradiation (2400 rads) . . .