Flu shots work better if you are in a good mood

Another reason to have a good attitude as you age. Flu shots work better for seniors that are in a good mood and have a good attitude. Why is this important? According to the World Health Organization, 2016, between 250,000 and 500,000 deaths are estimated to occur worldwide annually as a result of seasonal influenza epidemics

The current research is clear that the vast majority of these deaths (in excess of 90% in industrialised countries), as well as non-fatal influenza-associated hospitalizations, occur in those aged 65 years or older. Influenza vaccination is comparatively poor at inducing clinical protection in those 65 years of age and older. Clinical efficacy is estimated to be only 17–53% in older adults compared to 70–90% of younger adults  

This means influenza vaccination is least effective amongst those in most need of protection. While pharmacological solutions to this issue have shown some promise, the effectiveness of influenza vaccination in older adults remains relatively poor.

According to a study done at Nottingham University in 2017 influenza vaccination is estimated to only be effective in 17–53% of older adults. Multiple patient behaviors and psychological factors have been shown to act as ‘immune modulators’ sufficient to influence vaccination outcomes.

However, the relative importance of such factors is unknown as they have typically been examined in isolation. The study was to explore the effects of multiple behavioral (physical activity, nutrition, sleep) and psychological influences (stress, positive mood, negative mood) on the effectiveness of the immune response to influenza vaccination in the elderly.

One hundred and thirty-eight community-dwelling older adults (65–85 years) who received the 2014/15 influenza vaccination completed repeated psycho-behavioral measures over the two weeks prior, and four weeks following influenza vaccination.

A positive mood on the day of vaccination was a significant predictor of antibody responses at 16 weeks post-vaccination controlling for age and gender. A positive mood across the 6-week observation period was also significantly associated with post-vaccination antibody response at 16 weeks post-vaccination. No other factors were found to significantly predict antibody responses to vaccination. A greater positive mood in older adults, particularly on the day of vaccination, is associated with enhanced responses to vaccination.