Supporting our systems: Addressing immunosenescence and improving adult immunisation in Europe

About

In this project, ILC is working with the ILC Europe Network to explore the impact of immunosenescence on adult immunisation programmes in Europe.

Immunosenescence is the alteration of immune functions due to ageing, leading older adults to become more susceptible to disease. In an ageing society such as Europe – where one-third of EU citizens are expected to be aged 65 or over by 2100 – there is a crucial need to address immunosenescence and use better preventive health interventions to protect adult populations from poor health.

Namely, vaccination is one measure that can help to prevent severe disease and keep older populations better protected from conditions such as influenza, COVID-19, pneumococcal disease and shingles. Yet while vaccination may be the answer to supporting older adults’ immune systems, immunosenescence itself poses a risk to the effectiveness of immunisation. It reduces older adults’ immune system response to vaccination such that vaccine effectiveness in older age groups is generally lower than in younger age groups. In an ageing society this is cause for concern: immunosenescence puts older people at greater risk not only for disease, but also more severe disease, especially people with comorbidities.

Therefore, there is a need to explore current adult vaccination programmes in Europe and how well they acknowledge and address immunosenescence. Finding solutions and identifying policy recommendations to resolve the challenges posed by immunosenescence is key. Health stakeholders and policymakers across Europe need to act now to improve the efficacy of vaccination and ensure that the health, economic and social benefits of adult immunisation remain steadfast in the future.

This project has been sponsored by CSL Seqirus.