As a new pathogen enters our body, our innate immune system seeks it out and attempts to destroy it. It refers parts of the invader to the T-Cells in our adaptive immune system if it is successful. This files them away in its memory banks so it knows what to do next time that particular pathogen attacks. Scientists are learning why older people are harder to vaccinate. The ‘villain’ in the piece is a phenomenon they call immunosenescence.
Immunosenescence Is Why Older People Are Harder to Vaccinate
Immunosenescence is a gradual deterioration of our immune system as we age. The effect is greater on our adaptive immune system, than our innate immune one. In other words, our T-Cells can’t function as well as they used to. Our stock of T-Cells also shrinks as we grow older.
‘When we encounter a new pathogen our ability to respond becomes a lot more limited,’ Shayan Sharif, a professor of vaccinology at University of Guelph, Canada told William Park of BBC Future. This is why older people are harder to vaccinate, according to the report in National Institutes of Health we reference at the end of this article.
The Immunosenescence Process Does Not Affect Us All Equally
The depth of immunosenescence depends on our genetic inheritance, and perhaps our lifestyle in previous years. But there are positives signs on the horizon, according to Shayan Sharif. That’s because older immune systems remember pathogens better than younger ones.
Vaccine trials go through three stages. The first tests for safety, while the second observes the ability to produce the desired response. However, the third test assesses how effective that response is.
‘No vaccine is 100% perfect, says Shayan Sharif. ‘Not one nada’. He thinks the best hope for elderly people lies in a vaccine that reduces the severity of their COVID symptoms, as opposed to trying to trigger their aging immune system that may not respond.
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Preview Image: Age-Related Deterioration in Immunity
