Gut microbiota in early life may affect vaccine efficacy

Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides in the gut microbiome are important to vaccine responsiveness and could be used in vaccine adjuvants in the future, a recent review shows. Gut microbiota in early life can affect the efficacy of vaccines, according to research that could help guide improvements in vaccine outcomes and lead to safer and more effective vaccines and adjuvants. A recent review, published in The Lancet Microbe, examined how gut microbiota affect immunity in infancy. “We know the microbes that live in our gut—the gut microbiota—are really important for our health. In this review we tried to provide a condensed overview about the major impact of the gut microbiota and vaccination outcomes during early life, as this is when most vaccines are given,” lead author Anne Jordan, MSc, a PhD student in the research labs of Lindsay Hall, PhD, and Simon Carding, PhD, at Quadram Institute, told Contagion. “We focussed on Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides:...