In Case of a Bird Flu Pandemic, Could Exposure to Seasonal Flu Help?

Children might be more vulnerable to illness from bird flu, if it starts spreading among humans, according to new research from Scott Hensley, MD, a professor of Microbiology. The study found that the immune system retains some memory of how to respond to viruses that are the same or quite similar to the ones that it first encountered—a phenomenon called “immune imprinting.” Because the seasonal flus that circulated before 1968 are most similar to H5N1, Hensley and colleagues found that these individuals would have some protection from the virus, while children could end up being the most susceptible in the event of a pandemic, although the existing bird flu vaccines could boost antibodies in that group significantly.