Flu Vaccine Effectiveness May Be Impacted by Microbiome Disruption

The normal human gut microbiome is a flourishing community of microorganisms, some of which can affect the human immune system. In a new paper published this week in Cell, researchers found that oral antibiotics, which can kill gut microorganisms, can alter the human immune response to seasonal influenza vaccination. The work was led by scientists at Stanford University and funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. The research team examined 33 healthy adult participants in their study. One group of 22 volunteers was studied during the 2014-2015 flu season, and the second group with 11 volunteers was studied during the 2015-2016 flu season. The group of 22 volunteers had high pre-existing immunity to the influenza virus strains contained in the 2014-2015 seasonal influenza vaccine. The group of 11 volunteers had low immunity to the 2015-2016 seasonal influenza vaccine’s virus strains. https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/news/flu-vaccine-effectiveness-may-be-impacted-by-microbiome-disruption-323686?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=76589541&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--CVxIJ4gZuuqXE2T28bbOjBEr3vlRqpRQEmXOhUbdqhqdxVMC1WBlsACqi-xQiKBX8EaptZBigwrpiJ7K9sAEI3i2ixg&_hsmi=76589541