What type of vaccine should a client with a compromised immune system avoid?

Clients with a compromised immune system should avoid live virus vaccines because these vaccines contain live, attenuated (weakened) forms of the virus. In individuals with immune deficiencies, the weakened virus can potentially revert to a virulent form, leading to disease or severe complications. This risk is especially significant in those who have conditions like systemic lupus erythematosus or are receiving immunosuppressive therapies, making their immune response inadequate to manage even a weakened pathogen.

Killed virus vaccines, recombinant vaccines, and subunit vaccines do not pose the same risks because they either use inactivated viruses or parts of the virus that do not have the capacity to cause disease, making them safer options for immunocompromised individuals. Therefore, the recommendation for those with compromised immune systems is to avoid live virus vaccines while considering more appropriate alternatives.