Vaccines for preventing severe salmonella infections in people with sickle cell disease

Salmonella organisms are probably second only to pneumococcus among bacterial causes of infection in people with sickle cell disease. Infection with these bacteria can lead to complications and reduce the quality of life of people with the disease and sometimes result in death. Immunization with salmonella vaccines is one of the interventions available to reduce infection by these bacteria. There are different types of vaccines available: the inactivated vaccines and the oral vaccines. We did not find any randomized controlled trials assessing these vaccines in people with sickle cell diseases. We therefore conclude that there is a need for a randomized controlled trial to assess the benefits and risks of the different types of vaccines to evaluate the potential for improving survival and decreasing mortality from salmonella infections in people with sickle cell disease.