Vaccination of a Patient with Rett Syndrome: Case Report

Rett syndrome is a rare hereditary disease that is one of the most common causes of intellectual disability in girls. The disease manifests itself in 6–18 months of life. Common symptoms of Rett syndrome include progressive mental and speech development delay, regression of previously acquired speech and motor skills, respiratory disorders, epilepsy, pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, endocrine, cardiovascular and urinary systems, which significantly impairs the vital functions of patients. Many children with this disease receive preventive vaccinations behind schedule or are not vaccinated at all, which is due to both refusals from parents and unjustified medical challenges from specialized specialists. The article presents a case report of a 5-year-old girl with Rett syndrome who was vaccinated later than the date indicated in the national calendar of preventive vaccinations of the Russian Federation and did not have all the necessary preventive vaccinations for her age. By contacting the Pediatrics and Child Health Research Institute in Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery the patient was examined by specialist specialists and referred to the Department of vaccine prevention. A serological study of the intensity of immunity to vaccine-controlled infections was conducted before and after the course of vaccinations, and an individual vaccination plan was drawn up. The department carried out immunization against chickenpox, pneumococcal and meningococcal infections, revaccination against polio, as well as vaccination against hepatitis A. In the future, a vaccination plan was drawn up for preventive vaccinations at the place of residence, and immunization of the entourage was recommended.

1. Kyle SM, Vashi N, Justice MJ. Rett syndrome: a neurological disorder with metabolic components. Open Biol. 2018;8(2):170216. doi: https://10.1098/rsob.170216

2. Cherchi C, Chiappini E, Chiarini Testa MB, et al. Care Issues in Patients with Rett Syndrome: A Parental Perspective. Children (Basel). 2023;10(10):1713. doi: https://10.3390/children10101713

3. Vilvarajan S, McDonald M, Douglas L, et al. Multidisciplinary Management of Rett Syndrome: Twenty Years’ Experience. Genes (Basel). 2023;14(8):1607. doi: https://10.3390/genes14081607

4. COVID update: Best practices according to our medical expert. In: International Rett Syndrome Foundation: Website. December 10, 2021. Available online: https://www.rettsyndrome.org/12-1021-covid-update-best-practices-according-to-our-medical-expert. Accessed on April 19, 2025.

5. Is the Covid vaccine safe for people with Rett Syndrome? In: Reverse Rett: Website. February 19, 2021. Available online: https://www.reverserett.org.uk/ufaqs/is-the-covid-vaccine-safe-for-peoplewith-rett-syndrome. Accessed on April 19, 2025.

6. Humphrey KN, Horn PS, Olshavsky L, et al. Well-woman care and HPV vaccination rates in women with Rett syndrome. Disabil Health J. 2021;14(1):100982. doi: https://10.1016/j.dhjo.2020.100982

7. Fedoseenko MV, Namazova-Baranova LS, Vishneva EA, et al. Enhancement of Preventive Vaccination Approaches for Children with Health Problems: Prospective Cohort Study Results. Pediatricheskaya farmakologiya — Pediatric pharmacology. 2021;18(6):469–482. (In Russ). doi: https://doi.org/10.15690/pf.v18i6.2328

8. Order of the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation dated March 21, 2017 No. 124н (as amended on November 19, 2020 No. 1235н) “Ob utverzhdenii poryadka i srokov provedeniya profilakticheskikh meditsinskikh osmotrov grazhdan v tselyakh vyyavleniya tuberkuleza”. (In Russ).

9. Order of the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation dated 06.12.2021 No. 1122n (as amended on 12.12.2023) “Ob utverzhdenii natsional’nogo kalendarya profilakticheskikh privivok, kalendarya profilakticheskikh privivok po epidemicheskim pokazaniyam i poryadka provedeniya profilakticheskikh privivok”. (In Russ).

10. Malinina EV, Zabozlaeva IV. Rett Syndrome: Difficulties of Diagnostics (Clinical and Psychopathological Aspects). Russian Journal of Child Neurology. 2016;11(3):49–56. (In Russ). doi: https://doi.org/10.17650/2073-8803-2016-11-3-49-56

11. Gold WA, Percy AK, Neul JL, et al. Rett syndrome. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2024;10(1):84. doi: https://10.1038/s41572-024-00568-0

12. Kostinov MP, Kharseeva GG, Tyukavkina SYu. Vaccination of people with chronic pathology (material for preparing the lecture). Infektsionnye bolezni: novosti, mneniya, obuchenie = Infectious Diseases: News, Opinions, Training. 2021;10(2):99–108. (In Russ). doi: https://doi.org/10.33029/2305-3496-2021-10-2-99-108