To Improve Vaccination in the Elderly, Target Mechanisms of Aging
That vaccinations decline in effectiveness with advancing age is only one of countless ways in which the underlying mechanisms of aging collectively harm health and resilience in later life. If the urge to improve vaccination efficacy in older individuals turns out to be a major contribution to driving greater investment in the development of means of rejuvenation, therapies that target the causes of aging, then the benefits will extend far beyond this narrow goal.
Despite the availability of flu vaccines formulated to better protect older adults, older adults remain disproportionally at-risk for severe infection, flu-associated disability, and death. However, vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases and reduce severity of infections. Fortunately, the vast amount of research aimed to understand the hallmarks of aging have opened many doors to improve flu vaccine responses in individuals 65 years and older, potentially without the need to reformulate the vaccines themselves. Targeting aging as a whole, rather than specific age-related deficits, is likely more suited to improve the highly coordinated responses to vaccination and improve overall immunological resilience in older adults.
It is important to acknowledge age-related immune changes as a hurdle that requires continued attention and investigation for future vaccine clinical trials. Alternative vaccine platforms for flu, such as mRNA-based vaccines, may be able to overcome some age-related immune deficits, while also providing improved production time and increased subtype inclusion to increase overall vaccine efficacy regardless of changes in predominantly circulating strains. Further, pre-vaccination treatments that target the hallmarks of aging may be a novel approach to improve flu vaccination responses with aging that don't require any vaccine formulation changes. Overall, flu vaccine efficacy is integral to protecting older adults from excessive morbidity and mortality. Alternative vaccination strategies and pre-vaccination interventions that better address aging physiology likely can improve immunological resilience and overall protection in at-risk older adults.