Research on “Immunosenescence” May Lead to More Effective Vaccines for the Elderly

Here’s your new vocabulary word for the week — “immunosenesence” — and no, my spell checker doesn’t recognize it as a word (yet).  But the definition is interesting as the word refers to the gradual deterioration of the immune system that may accompany natural aging.  Recent studies by researchers at the University of California San Diego and Emory University have focused on why older persons (defined in the study as over age 65) have weaker immune responses to seasonal flu vaccines.  In turn, better understanding of the phenomenon may help to identify new approaches to immunizations for older persons.   

The San Diego Union-Tribune offers a lay person’s breakdown of the studies linked above.