Epstein-Barr virus influences the induction of protective antibody responses in young African children vaccinated with the RTS,S malaria vaccine

The RTS,S vaccine provides moderate protection against malaria in children, which may be due in part to environmental factors. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections are prevalent in Africa and potentially contribute to suboptimal vaccine responses. We evaluated whether latent CMV/EBV infections impact RTS,S-induced antibodies in 314 vaccinated children aged 5-29 months in West Africa. While no strong associations were observed for CMV, children seropositive for EBV had lower antigen-specific IgG and IgA, which have been linked with protective malaria immunity. These results may partly explain why malaria vaccines are suboptimal in populations where early CMV/EBV infections are prevalent.