How one flu virus can hamper the immune response to another

Prior exposure to one strain of influenza virus may weaken children's ability to mount an effective antibody response against their subsequent exposure to a different flu strain, according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The analysis of the pediatric response to H3N2 and H1N1 influenza A viruses, two of the most common causes of flu, provides insight into the concept of "immune imprinting," and supports the idea that childhood vaccination, if properly designed, may be able to mitigate its adverse effects.