title: Sex-based differences in immune function and responses to vaccination.
abstract: Females typically develop higher antibody responses and experience more adverse reactions following vaccination than males. These differences are observed in response to diverse vaccines, including the bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine, the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, the yellow fever virus vaccine and influenza vaccines. Sex differences in the responses to vaccines are observed across diverse age groups, ranging from infants to aged individuals. Biological as well as behavioral differences between the sexes are likely to contribute to differences in the outcome of vaccination between the sexes. Immunological, hormonal, genetic and microbiota differences between males and females may also affect the outcome of vaccination. Identifying ways to reduce adverse reactions in females and increase immune responses in males will be necessary to adequately protect both sexes against infectious diseases.
authors.affiliation: W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA sklein2@jhu.edu.
authors.forename: Sabra L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marriott
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Canada Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Eleanor N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Fish
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity / Q000187:drug effects*; D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects*; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D022341:Yellow Fever Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D016207:Cytokines; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine; D022341:Yellow Fever Vaccine
keywords: Estrogen; Gender; Microbiome; Sex difference; Vaccine; X chromosome