Flu Vaccine Given in the Morning Could Be More Effective

Researchers at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom have found that flu vaccines are more effective when given in the morning because patients’ immune systems are capable of producing more antibodies in response to the vaccine in the first part of the day. In the study, the researchers monitored 276 adults age 65 and older being vaccinated against three strains of the flu virus. Some were given the vaccine in the morning between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., and the others were given the vaccine in the afternoon between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. One month after vaccination, those who received the morning vaccine showed a significantly larger concentration of antibodies to the virus compared with those who received the afternoon vaccine. The scientists plan to continue their research by testing their theory on a larger number of subjects aged 65 and older, including those with impaired immunity caused by illnesses such as diabetes or conditions affecting the liver and kidneys. They will also test the morning vaccination strategy with the pneumococcal vaccine in individuals age 65 and older. The study was published in the journal Vaccine.