Grin and bear it! Vaccines are more effective if you’re happy

IT MIGHT sound unlikely to those who are scared of needles.

But smiling and being happy when you go for an injection could make jabs more effective. A study by Nottingham University found that people who were happy when they went for their autumn flu jab were better protected from getting ill. That is because a good mood boosts the immune system, helping it to react properly to a vaccination.

Researchers found being in the right frame of mind on the day of an injection could cause the body to produce up to 14 per cent more antibodies, increasing the level of protection.

Professor Kavita Vedhara said: ‘Vaccinations are an incredibly effective way of reducing the likelihood of catching infectious diseases. But their Achilles heel is that their ability to protect against disease is affected by how well an individual’s immune system works.

‘We have known for many years that a number of psychological and behavioural factors such as stress, physical activity and diet influence how well the immune system works and these factors have also been shown to influence how well vaccines protect against disease.’

In the study, published in the journal Brain, Behaviour and Immunity, researchers looked at 138 British pensioners given their seasonal flu jab.

Participants were questioned on how happy they were in the six weeks surrounding their injection and on the day itself. Researchers then calculated the injection’s effectiveness by measuring the amount of antibodies in the blood at four and 16 weeks after the jab. They found how someone felt on the day of the vaccination affected their antibody levels by between 8 and 14 per cent.

Following the results, lead author Kieran Ayling said: ‘We would expect that similar effects may be true for all vaccines, especially in people with less effective immune systems such as the elderly. That is not to say that positive mood may be the only way to promote the effectiveness of vaccines.’

The team also measured physical activity, diet and sleep in the 65- to 85-yearolds but found these had no effect.

Older people are the most vulnerable to flu and its complications, which is why they are offered the vaccination, but it works least well in this age group.

It is estimated anywhere from 47 to 83 per cent of older adults are left unprotected despite being vaccinated.

Mood is believed to affect how well the injection works because our emotions and immune system are linked by the same pathways in regions of the brain.

‘It is incredibly effective’