Clinical Research Directory

Age-Associated Differences in Germinal Center Responses to Influenza and Rabies Vaccination in Humans

This study is being done to better understand how the immune system responds to vaccination against influenza and rabies. Researchers want to study how immune responses develop and change over time in the blood and in the lymph nodes that drain the vaccination site, following vaccination with two vaccines licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): the seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) and the rabies vaccine (RabAvert). By studying these samples, researchers hope to learn how the body produces high-quality, long-lasting antibody and memory immune responses after vaccination. The study will also compare immune responses in younger adults to immune responses in older adults, because prior research suggests that the immune system's ability to respond to vaccination weakens with age.