Immunosenescence and herd immunity: with an ever-increasing aging population do we need to rethink vaccine schedules?

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_2FF8B14D246B
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Title
Immunosenescence and herd immunity: with an ever-increasing aging population do we need to rethink vaccine schedules?
Journal
Expert Review of Vaccines
Author(s)
Lang P.O., Aspinall R.
ISSN
1744-8395 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
1476-0584
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2012
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
11
Number
2
Pages
167-176
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Review Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
Vaccination is a powerful public health tool that has been of tremendous benefit in protecting vulnerable populations from specific infections. Moreover, in addition to the direct benefits to vaccinated individuals, the indirect effects of protection at the community level have also been demonstrated and termed 'herd immunity'. The predicted demographic shift in the population landscape towards an ever-increasing aging population and the evidence suggesting that older individuals produce less-than-optimal vaccine responses have raised the question of rethinking vaccine schedules. This article provides evidence that even if herd immunity might be an option to indirectly protect the aging and aged adult population, the highest priorities for the near future must be to understand how vaccine responses in older individuals can be improved, to break down the public, cultural, societal and political barriers to vaccination and to counter the antivaccination movement that inhibits the worldwide spread of lifelong immunization programs.
Keywords
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging/immunology, Communicable Disease Control/methods, Humans, Immunity, Herd, Immunization Programs, Middle Aged, Public Health, Treatment Outcome, Vaccines/administration & dosage, Vaccines/immunology
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
15/04/2015 10:17
Last modification date
20/08/2019 14:14
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