Flu vaccine may work better in women

Women have a stronger immune response than men when given the flu vaccine, new research shows. This may mean that vaccinated women are better protected against catching the flu than vaccinated men, although the new study did not look at this directly, the researchers said. In the study, researchers examined the inflammatory responses of 53 women and 34 men following vaccination with a flu shot. Scientists found that men had a weaker response, or less inflammation in their bodies, than women after receiving the vaccine, and the response was weakest among some of the men who had the highest testosterone levels. The finding “reinforces the message that there are major differences between men and women in terms of their immune systems,” said study researcher Mark Davis, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the Stanford School of Medicine. “Like many other areas, it hasn’t been that well explored.” Davis said the study does not make...