The potential impact of climate change and ultraviolet radiation on vaccine-preventable infectious diseases and immunization service delivery system

Abstract

Climate change and solar ultraviolet radiation may affect vaccine-preventable infectious diseases (VPID), the human immune response process and the immunization service delivery system. We systematically reviewed the scientific literature and identified 37 relevant publications. Our study shows that climate variability and ultraviolet radiation may potentially affect VPID and the immunization delivery system through modulating vector reproduction and vaccination effectiveness, possibly influencing human immune response systems to the vaccination, and disturbing immunization service delivery. Further research is needed to determine these affects on climate-sensitive VPID and on human immune response to common vaccines. Such research will facilitate the development and delivery of optimal vaccination programs for target populations, to meet the goal of disease control and elimination.

Keywords:

• climate variability
• immunization service
• infectious disease
• ultraviolet radiation
• vaccine

Financial & competing interests disclosure

We thank Dr G Milinovich for his valuable comments on the manuscript. Dr W Hu is funded by a Queensland University of Technology Vice-Chancellor Senior Research Fellowship. Professor Shilu Tong is funded by a NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship (grant #553043). The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Climate change have potential significant impacts on vaccine-preventable infectious diseases (VPID) and immunization service delivery systems, through their independent and interactive effects on the reproduction of disease vectors, effectiveness of vaccination, human immune response systems and immunization service delivery system.

• Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure may have possible effects on human immune response, pre-and post-vaccination.

• There are associations between climatic variables and the transmission of vector-, air-, and water-borne VPID.

• UVR exposure potentially effects VPID and human immune response process, although human studies are limited.

• Both climatic factors and UVR exposure may affect vaccine potency and effectiveness of immunization programs.

• Further research is required to evaluate the effectiveness of immunization service delivery systems within the context of climate change.

• More population-based studies on the impacts of climate change and UVR exposure on the common vaccines are also urgently required.

• Vaccines less sensitive to temperature and light should be developed and evaluated in clinical trials under extreme weather.

Notes

¹Mean radiant temperature, physiologically equivalent temperature and universal thermal climate index are all biometeorological parameters. These are calculated using RayMan model. The role of environmental thermal conditions on the occurrence of measles has been assessed using RayMan model, where seasonal fluctuation patterns have been identified [5].