Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Simple ways to give the flu jab a fighting chance
The vaccine only works for two thirds of people. Pat Hagan discovers how you can make it more effective
Record numbers of people are due to be vaccinated against flu this autumn and winter, with almost 30 million residents in England being offered free jabs on the NHS.
It is hoped the strategy will free up hospitals to deal with the predicted surge in Covid-19 cases. And the risk of death doubles in those who catch flu and coronavirus at the same time.
But even if everybody eligible takes up the offer, flu could still be a threat. That’s because the jab, which is manufactured every year to match flu strains in circulation, only works in about two-thirds of those who get it.
The good news is we can improve our chances of being protected.
GO IN THE MORNING
Flu vaccines work better if given in the morning rather than the afternoon, according to research from Birmingham University.
Scientists found jabs administered between 9am and 11am produced four times as many antibodies as those given between 3pm and 5pm.
Antibodies are proteins released by the immune system to attack invading organisms, such as a flu virus.
The immune system is thought to be more responsive early in the day when levels of a key protein that drives immune response, called BMAL-1, start to rise from their nighttime low.
DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY
Just being in a good mood on the day you get the vaccine can make a big difference to how well it works.
Groundbreaking research at Nottingham University in 2018 followed 138 elderly patients and found those who were smiling and in a positive frame of mind at the time of the jab produced more antibodies – and had higher levels of them four months later.
Professor Kavita Vedhara, who led the study, says: “We know stress influences how the immune system works and it may well influence how well vaccines protect against disease.”
GO SWIMMING
Exercise may be essential for a healthy immune system, according to a recent study at Saarland University in Germany. Researchers tracked athletes to see how their regimes affected the way they responded to flu jabs. Swimming, cycling and running all seemed to turbo-charge the immune system’s reaction to the vaccine.
It suggests even those of us who are not athletes but enjoy regular exercise can bolster our chances of protection.
ARM WORKOUTS
Doing a series of bicep curls – where a dumbbell is raised and lowered while the top of the arm remains beside the body – has been found to improve vaccine response.
Scientists at Birmingham University got 60 young adults to work the muscles in the upper arm and immediately afterwards injected the same arm.
Those who did the arm workout had a stronger immune response than others who just sat beforehand.
SLEEP WELL
Insomnia can blunt your immune system’s response to the flu jab, researchers say. One study at Chicago University showed it takes up to three times longer for your body to fully respond to the vaccine and build up the defences it needs if you are sleep-deprived at the time of the injection. Ten days after the jab, antibody levels in insomniacs were half those found in volunteers who were well-rested. It took another four weeks before they caught up – exposing them to infection.
MEDITATE
Meditating could make a big difference. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin in the US compared vaccine responses in those who meditated for an hour a day, six days a week, with another group who did not.
Four weeks after the jab there were much higher levels of antibodies in the bloodstream of those who meditated daily. And eight weeks on, there was still a big difference.
AVOID ANTIBIOTICS
Antibiotics have saved millions of lives down the years. But recent evidence suggests that, while they fight infection, they may also disrupt the immune system and its ability to respond fully to flu jabs.
In 2019, experts at Stanford University in the US found patients taking the drugs at the time of vaccination had a much weaker response. It is probably because the drugs can decimate the delicate balance of bacteria in the gut which helps keep immune systems healthy.
Worst-hit were patients who had not received the flu jab before.
TAKE PROBIOTICS
Taking probiotics to keep the gut healthy might mean you get more out of your flu vaccine, research suggests.
Probiotics are live bacteria found in certain foods, such as some yogurts, and supplements.
One major scientific review found probiotics more than doubled the chances of being immune to the flu virus after a vaccination.
Similar effects might also be seen with prebiotics, which are found in high-fibre foods that the good bacteria in our guts digest to keep flourishing.
These bacteria make up the microbiome – a complex soup of molecules that exist inside the gut that help program the immune system and keep it strong.
DITCH THE CIGGIES
If smokers need another reason to quit, a 2018 study in the European Journal of Public Health showed flu vaccines were much less effective in those still using tobacco, or who had only recently stopped. Researchers who studied 2,000 people found the jab was only half as effective at preventing flu-related hospital admissions among smokers as it was among non-smokers.
But switching to vaping might not be any better either. A 2019 report by the American Thoracic Society warned vaping can also cause damage to the immune system.
SAY CHEERS
Enjoying the odd glass of wine could also maximise the flu jab’s effectiveness. Animal studies at the University of California showed the immune system responded more vigorously to vaccines, including flu jabs, in moderate drinkers than teetotallers.
But don’t overdo it – the same study found heavy drinking suppresses the release of the infection-fighting antibodies and means the vaccine is unlikely to protect you.