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Review
. 2011 Jul;10(3):379-88.
doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2010.10.008. Epub 2010 Nov 3.

Influenza vaccine responses in older adults

Janet E McElhaney  1
Affiliations
Review

Influenza vaccine responses in older adults

Janet E McElhaney. Ageing Res Rev. 2011 Jul.

Abstract

The most profound consequences of immune senescence with respect to public health are the increased susceptibility to influenza and loss of efficacy of the current split-virus influenza vaccines in older adults, which are otherwise very effective in younger populations. Influenza infection is associated with high rates of complicated illness including pneumonia, heart attacks and strokes in the 65+ population. Changes in both innate and adaptive immune function not only converge in the reduced response to vaccination and protection against influenza, but present significant challenges to new vaccine development. In older adults, the goal of vaccination is more realistically targeted to providing clinical protection against disease rather sterilizing immunity. Correlates of clinical protection may not be measured using standard techniques such as antibody titres to predict vaccine efficacy. Further, antibody responses to vaccination as a correlate of protection may fail to detect important changes in cellular immunity and enhanced vaccine-mediated protection against influenza illness in older people. This article will discuss the impact of influenza in older adults, immunologic targets for improved efficacy of the vaccines, and alternative correlates of clinical protection against influenza that are needed for more effective translation of novel vaccination strategies to improved protection against influenza in older adults.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The response to vaccination is summarized (left diagram) and the response to virus stimulation in PBMC cultures is illustrated (right diagram). PBMC - peripheral blood mononuclear cells APC - antigen presenting cell Th - helper T cell; type 1 - Th1; type 2 - Th2 CTL - cytotoxic T lymphocyte; B - B cell IL - interleukin; IFN - interferon; TNF tumor necrosis factor Grz B - granzyme B Ab - antibody; HI - hemaglutination inhibition; SN - serum neutralization ADCC - antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity CML – complement-mediated lysis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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