Chronic stress alters the immune response to influenza virus vaccine in older adults

摘要

To determine whether a chronic stressor (caregiving for a spouse with a progressive dementia) is associated with an impaired immune response to influenza virus vaccination, we compared 32 caregivers' vaccine re- sponses with those of 32 sex-, age-, and socioeconomically matched control subjects. Caregivers showed a poorer anti- body response following vaccination relative to control sub- jects as assessed by two independent methods, ELISA and hemagglutination inhibition.