WITH THE COVID PANDEMIC, IT IS EASY TO FORGET about vaccines targeting other illnesses. Vaccines are increasingly on my mind as I approach 60, as I know I cannot fight off infections as well as I could when younger. Today I offer a vaccination review for non-COVID diseases.
Are you up to date on boosters for COVID-19? What about tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough)? Then there are hepatitis A and influenza vaccines.
Today, I want to discuss three vaccinations: influenza (flu), pneumonia, and shingles. And yes, I am up to date. Full confession: The shingles vaccine caused moderately severe pain at the injection site for several days.
Sufficient sleep and vaccine effectiveness
Could a good night’s sleep improve the effectiveness of your COVID-19 (and other) vaccines? Short sleep the day after a jab may not be an important issue for most of us who don’t have compromised immune systems.
However, if you have some compromise in your immune system’s ability to fight infectious disease, getting an adequate sleep duration during the night after the vaccination may enhance your chances of getting an adequate response to vaccines.
One research investigation discovered that ten days after vaccination for seasonal influenza, antibody levels in individuals getting a jab after four consecutive days restricted to four hours had half of the antibody levels of those without short sleep.
A separate study showed sleep duration (measured with a device) associated with antibody responses to hepatitis B vaccination. Researchers examined 70 females, ages 40 to 60. All received a standard three-dose hepatitis B vaccination series.
The subjects wore devices to track sleep and completed sleep diaries. The researchers checked antibody levels before the second and third vaccinations. Finally, the study investigators checked antigen immunoglobulin status (to assess clinical protection status) at the six-month mark.
The lower antibody response associated with less sleep appeared independent of age, body mass index, sex, and response to initial immunization.
As measured by actigraphy devices, shorter sleep duration predicted a lower chance of being clinically protected from hepatitis B after the vaccination series. Subjective sleep quality did not prove a useful predictor of antibody response.
These studies hint that getting sufficient sleep during vaccination may boost immune system response, but there is no high-level evidence. The studies remind me to get a good night’s sleep around the time of my jabs.
Vaccination and time of day
Did you know that our immune systems have significant circadian rhythms? In this context, might the time of a vaccination affect efficacy?
Immune system basics
There is a circadian rhythm in the ability of immune system cells (lymphocytes) to enter and exit lymph nodes. Lymphocytes survey antigens by circulating through our bloodstream, and lymph nodes and lymph modulate our specific immune responses in nodes.
In layperson language, lymphocytes are a white blood cell type and are an important part of our immune system. Approximately 20 to 40 percent of the white blood cells are lymphocytes. Here is an explanation of what lymphocytes do, courtesy of WebMD:
Lymphocytes are created in your bone marrow. We have B lymphocytes (B-cells) designed to make antibodies. Antibodies take out foreign substances or mark them for an attack. On the other hand, T-cells are lymphocytes that destroy any cells that cancers or viruses have invaded.
Natural killer cells are another lymphocyte type. NK cells can destroy tumor cells without any previous activation. In contradistinction, T-cells only attack a cell if another immune cell has tagged it.
Lymphocytes have memory, able to remember antigens — a toxin or other foreign substances that provoke our immune system to respond. Once the lymphocyte encounters an antigen, some become memory cells. The memory lymphocytes quickly respond when an antigen comes around for a second time. We take advantage of this immune response when we use vaccines.
Vaccination time during the day
Critical components of the immune system oscillate in humans and mice with opposite phases according to their inverted rest-activity times; I mean that circulating immune cells known as leukocytes are high during the rest periods — the night for humans and the day for mice.
One study of influenza and hepatitis A vaccination discovered that administering the vaccines in the morning (and not the afternoon) led to an almost two-fold higher immune system response in men (but not women), as measured by antibody levels four weeks later.
I do not believe we have anything actionable here, but interesting to learn about circadian rhythmicity and immune system function.
Influenza (flu) vaccination
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Thank you for joining me in this vaccination review for non-COVID diseases.
The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you seek medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.
