What are the limits on the amount of pathogens that a body can be immune to at any given time?

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Before the seasonal flu vaccine was recommended for all healthy adults, people in developed countries might get vaccinated against on the order of 10 different pathogens and develop immunity for some more via natural exposure.

Now the same person is expected to take a seasonal flu vaccine for a new strain every year - won't this put them in an uncharted territory as far as effects on the immune systems are concerned within a couple of decades?

immune-system vaccination virology microbiology

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Before the seasonal flu vaccine was recommended for all healthy adults, people in developed countries might get vaccinated against on the order of 10 different pathogens and develop immunity for some more via natural exposure.

Now the same person is expected to take a seasonal flu vaccine for a new strain every year - won't this put them in an uncharted territory as far as effects on the immune systems are concerned within a couple of decades?

immune-system vaccination virology microbiology

share|improve this question

edited 1 hour ago

Narusan

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asked 6 hours ago

Macrophagus

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Macrophagus is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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up vote
1
down vote

favorite

up vote
1
down vote

favorite

Before the seasonal flu vaccine was recommended for all healthy adults, people in developed countries might get vaccinated against on the order of 10 different pathogens and develop immunity for some more via natural exposure.

Now the same person is expected to take a seasonal flu vaccine for a new strain every year - won't this put them in an uncharted territory as far as effects on the immune systems are concerned within a couple of decades?

immune-system vaccination virology microbiology

share|improve this question

edited 1 hour ago

Narusan

4,83421540

asked 6 hours ago

Macrophagus

61

New contributor

Macrophagus is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

Before the seasonal flu vaccine was recommended for all healthy adults, people in developed countries might get vaccinated against on the order of 10 different pathogens and develop immunity for some more via natural exposure.

Now the same person is expected to take a seasonal flu vaccine for a new strain every year - won't this put them in an uncharted territory as far as effects on the immune systems are concerned within a couple of decades?

immune-system vaccination virology microbiology

immune-system vaccination virology microbiology

share|improve this question

edited 1 hour ago

Narusan

4,83421540

asked 6 hours ago

Macrophagus

61

New contributor

Macrophagus is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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share|improve this question

edited 1 hour ago

Narusan

4,83421540

asked 6 hours ago

Macrophagus

61

New contributor

Macrophagus is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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share|improve this question

edited 1 hour ago

Narusan

4,83421540

edited 1 hour ago

Narusan

4,83421540

edited 1 hour ago

Narusan

4,83421540

4,83421540

asked 6 hours ago

Macrophagus

61

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Macrophagus is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 6 hours ago

Macrophagus

61

asked 6 hours ago

Macrophagus

61

61

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Macrophagus is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

New contributor

Macrophagus is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

Macrophagus is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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Won't this (having a flu vaccine every year) put them in an uncharted territory as far as effects on the immune systems are concerned within a couple of decades?

No

You are exposed to and develop a memory response to many, many more pathogens than vaccines. Your collective immune memory from natural exposure to a pathogen is much, much larger than from vaccination.

Effective vaccines reproduce the immune response of exposure to a pathogen (see the CDC pink book, Chapter 1), but use specific subgroups of antigens important for protective immunity. The number of vaccines you get is much smaller than the number of different antigens you are exposed to. Considering the common cold alone, the incidence in the US is 6 per person year for children, 2 per person year for adults without exposure to children (see Cecil Medicine Ch. 369). Each of these exposures involves many different antigens. Vaccine related immune memory is a drop in the bucket.

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1 Answer
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1 Answer
1

active

oldest

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active

oldest

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active

oldest

votes

up vote
5
down vote

Won't this (having a flu vaccine every year) put them in an uncharted territory as far as effects on the immune systems are concerned within a couple of decades?

No

You are exposed to and develop a memory response to many, many more pathogens than vaccines. Your collective immune memory from natural exposure to a pathogen is much, much larger than from vaccination.

Effective vaccines reproduce the immune response of exposure to a pathogen (see the CDC pink book, Chapter 1), but use specific subgroups of antigens important for protective immunity. The number of vaccines you get is much smaller than the number of different antigens you are exposed to. Considering the common cold alone, the incidence in the US is 6 per person year for children, 2 per person year for adults without exposure to children (see Cecil Medicine Ch. 369). Each of these exposures involves many different antigens. Vaccine related immune memory is a drop in the bucket.

share|improve this answer

edited 4 hours ago

answered 4 hours ago

De Novo

60211

add a comment | 

up vote
5
down vote

Won't this (having a flu vaccine every year) put them in an uncharted territory as far as effects on the immune systems are concerned within a couple of decades?

No

You are exposed to and develop a memory response to many, many more pathogens than vaccines. Your collective immune memory from natural exposure to a pathogen is much, much larger than from vaccination.

Effective vaccines reproduce the immune response of exposure to a pathogen (see the CDC pink book, Chapter 1), but use specific subgroups of antigens important for protective immunity. The number of vaccines you get is much smaller than the number of different antigens you are exposed to. Considering the common cold alone, the incidence in the US is 6 per person year for children, 2 per person year for adults without exposure to children (see Cecil Medicine Ch. 369). Each of these exposures involves many different antigens. Vaccine related immune memory is a drop in the bucket.

share|improve this answer

edited 4 hours ago

answered 4 hours ago

De Novo

60211

add a comment | 

up vote
5
down vote

up vote
5
down vote

Won't this (having a flu vaccine every year) put them in an uncharted territory as far as effects on the immune systems are concerned within a couple of decades?

No

You are exposed to and develop a memory response to many, many more pathogens than vaccines. Your collective immune memory from natural exposure to a pathogen is much, much larger than from vaccination.

Effective vaccines reproduce the immune response of exposure to a pathogen (see the CDC pink book, Chapter 1), but use specific subgroups of antigens important for protective immunity. The number of vaccines you get is much smaller than the number of different antigens you are exposed to. Considering the common cold alone, the incidence in the US is 6 per person year for children, 2 per person year for adults without exposure to children (see Cecil Medicine Ch. 369). Each of these exposures involves many different antigens. Vaccine related immune memory is a drop in the bucket.

share|improve this answer

edited 4 hours ago

answered 4 hours ago

De Novo

60211

Won't this (having a flu vaccine every year) put them in an uncharted territory as far as effects on the immune systems are concerned within a couple of decades?

No

You are exposed to and develop a memory response to many, many more pathogens than vaccines. Your collective immune memory from natural exposure to a pathogen is much, much larger than from vaccination.

Effective vaccines reproduce the immune response of exposure to a pathogen (see the CDC pink book, Chapter 1), but use specific subgroups of antigens important for protective immunity. The number of vaccines you get is much smaller than the number of different antigens you are exposed to. Considering the common cold alone, the incidence in the US is 6 per person year for children, 2 per person year for adults without exposure to children (see Cecil Medicine Ch. 369). Each of these exposures involves many different antigens. Vaccine related immune memory is a drop in the bucket.

share|improve this answer

edited 4 hours ago

answered 4 hours ago

De Novo

60211

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

edited 4 hours ago

edited 4 hours ago

edited 4 hours ago

answered 4 hours ago

De Novo

60211

answered 4 hours ago

De Novo

60211

answered 4 hours ago

De Novo

60211

60211

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

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