Influenza vaccination protects more than expected

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MunichThere are a lot of different flu viruses and these are also constantly changing. This is why it is so difficult to make a suitable vaccine. American scientists have now found out that the flu vaccine not only works against the virus subtypes it contains, but also generally strengthens the immune defense against the family of pathogens.

Influenza viruses prefer to live in birds - the animals are the main host for the germs. And so there are significantly more different flu viruses in poultry and the like than in humans. However, they can change genetically in such a way that they can also be dangerous for humans.

Those who work with poultry are more immune

Paul Thomas and his team from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis actually wanted to know whether ornithologists who work as scientists with birds develop a strengthened immune system against influenza viruses - after all, they are exposed to the pathogens much more often than other people. The scientists initially only found a connection in researchers who worked with poultry, i.e. birds that are kept as livestock. Test subjects who came into frequent contact with these had more antibodies against different flu subtypes than scientists who worked with wild birds.

The best immune system against influenza pathogens, however, had ornithologists who had been vaccinated against influenza once or repeatedly in the past few years - regardless of whether they had worked with poultry or not. Her blood contained antibodies not only to the types of virus in the vaccine, but also to other forms. “A flu vaccination could therefore also protect against new flu viruses,” says Thomas.

Blood test

In a laboratory test, the scientists added specific surface proteins of the flu viruses to the immune cells contained in the blood: H3, H4, H5, H6, H7, H8 and H12. “H” stands for hemagglutinin - these are the proteins that the influenza viruses use to attach themselves to their host cells. The specific immune system of the human body develops antibodies against the hemagglutinins after infection or vaccination. Like the key to the lock, they fit the surface proteins and clump the viruses together. If this was the case, the scientists could recognize this in their test from a color reaction. This enabled them to determine who had built up an immune defense against the pathogen. (away)

Source: Thomas P.G. et al .: Seasonal Influenza Vaccination is the Strongest Correlate of Cross-Reactive Antibody Responses in Migratory Bird Handlers, mBio, December 9, 2014.

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