A 75-year-old man is hospitalized due to respiratory distress. The patient developed fever, cough, and muscle aches 4 days prior to admission. He is otherwise healthy and has no chronic medical conditions. The patient has received all recommended vaccinations, including a yearly flu vaccine. Temperature is 39 C (102.2 F), blood pressure is 110/65 mm Hg, pulse is 115/min, and respirations are 29/min. Chest x-ray shows bilateral infiltrates. Reverse transcriptase PCR of a specimen from a nasopharyngeal swab reveals a strain of influenza A virus that was included in the seasonal trivalent flu vaccine. The patient lives with his 50-year-old son, who received the same vaccine but did not develop the infection. Which of the following factors most likely increased this patient's risk of vaccine failure compared with that of his son?

Question

A 75-year-old man is hospitalized due to respiratory distress.  The patient developed fever, cough, and muscle aches 4 days prior to admission.  He is otherwise healthy and has no chronic medical conditions.  The patient has received all recommended vaccinations, including a yearly flu vaccine.  Temperature is 39 C (102.2 F), blood pressure is 110/65 mm Hg, pulse is 115/min, and respirations are 29/min.  Chest x-ray shows bilateral infiltrates.  Reverse transcriptase PCR of a specimen from a nasopharyngeal swab reveals a strain of influenza A virus that was included in the seasonal trivalent flu vaccine.  The patient lives with his 50-year-old son, who received the same vaccine but did not develop the infection.  Which of the following factors most likely increased this patient's risk of vaccine failure compared with that of his son?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Immunosenescense is the normal age-related decline that impairs most aspects of immune function, including the production of naive B and T cells.  This results in a diminished antibody-based immune response to novel antigens (eg, infections, vaccinations).  The immune response to previously experienced pathogens is typically intact due to normal or increased levels of memory B and T cells and preserved antibody quality.

A 75-Year-Old Man Is Hospitalized Due to Respiratory Distress