The flu shot may not be as effective in elderly taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, according to new study findings from researchers at the University of Rochester (NY).
Some NSAIDS appear to hinder a vaccine’s ability to prompt the immune system to produce antibodies against a specific illness and infection, the study said. As many as 70% of all Americans use NSAIDs for pain relief and inflammation, researchers estimate. The study report appears in the Dec. 1 online issue of the Journal of Immunology.
“For years, we have known that elderly people are poor responders to the influenza vaccine and vaccines in general,” said principal investigator Richard P. Phipps in a prepared statement.
