Study: The laxity of the immune system in the elderly weakens the effect of vaccination

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US researchers have confirmed that the immune response of older people to the influenza vaccine is lax and less diversified than that of young people.

As the age progresses, the accumulated mutations in B cells that play a crucial role in the immune response to pathogens and their antibodies are less useful for the immune system in the elderly, said the researchers in their study published in the journal Cell and Microbial. Make the immune system of older people less effective against new forms of virus than among the youngest.

Patrick Wilson, study director at the University of Chicago, said the fundamental conclusion was that, when older people were infected with the flu virus, they did not have the tools to fight them because their antibodies were not sufficiently protective.
Flu viruses permanently change shape and, in particular, few characteristics change on the surface of these viruses, and these specific traits are recognized by the immune system in humans, where antibodies that attack these structures eliminate thus the viruses.

The researchers confirmed that there are already new types of vaccines for the elderly already available, highlighting the need to study the immune system's response to these antibiotics during studies. future, and stated that these vaccines contained, for example, the catalysts for effectiveness.
Decline in the strength of the human immune system with age is considered a major cause of illness and death.

Researchers confirm that influenza is the most serious of people over 60 years old. The vaccination committee of the German Health Institute Robert Koch recommends influenza vaccination for certain age groups, especially people aged 60 and over.