Gut Microbiome May Impact the Effectiveness of Flu Vaccine

Gut Microbiome May Impact the Effectiveness of Flu Vaccine
Africa Studio/Shutterstock
Updated:
Research conducted by Stanford University scientists found that the use of oral antibiotics weakens the health of the gut microbiome, a complex community of trillions of microbial cells found in each individual. This weakening of the microbiome, in turn, weakens the body’s immune system and alters the response to influenza vaccination.
During the study, all participants received the flu vaccination but only half received antibiotics for a five-day period before receiving the vaccination. Those receiving oral antibiotics had reduced levels of gut bacteria, a hindered response to the vaccine, and experienced higher levels of inflammation—findings that were consistent with previous studies.
GreenMedInfo
GreenMedInfo
Author
GreenMedInfo is dedicated to investigating the most important health and environmental issues of the day. Special emphasis will be placed on environmental health. Our focused and deep research will explore the many ways in which the present condition of the human body directly reflects the true state of the ambient environment. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Sign up for their newsletter at https://greenmedinfo.com/newsletter
Related Topics