‘Findings will make vaccines more effective in older people’

NEW research from a United States vaccine expert will have major implications for cancer treatment, swine flu vaccinations and vaccinations for other infectious diseases, it has been claimed.

Recent studies have shown that there is limited survival advantage to immunising over 55s, but Professor Albert Deisseroth, speaking at University College Cork yesterday, claims his findings will make flu and cancer vaccines more effective in older people.

The claims come as Ireland is gearing up to vaccinate thousands of elderly people in preparation for a predicted swine flu pandemic, and figures show that three out of five people over the age of 65 are vaccinated against the flu virus.