Can a flu shot help stop a cold virus?
Non-specific Effect of Vaccines: Immediate Protection against Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection by a Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The flu vaccine blocked RSV without producing any RSV-specific antibodies or changing T-cell levels.
We’ve been taught vaccines work by training the adaptive immune system (antibodies/T-cells). This bypasses that entirely—using only the body’s first responders.
Practical Takeaways
If you have a newborn or work with infants, get your flu shot early in RSV season—this study suggests it might offer a 2–6 day window of indirect protection.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The flu vaccine blocked RSV without producing any RSV-specific antibodies or changing T-cell levels.
We’ve been taught vaccines work by training the adaptive immune system (antibodies/T-cells). This bypasses that entirely—using only the body’s first responders.
Practical Takeaways
If you have a newborn or work with infants, get your flu shot early in RSV season—this study suggests it might offer a 2–6 day window of indirect protection.
Publication
Journal
Frontiers in Microbiology
Year
2018
Authors
Y. J. Lee, J. Lee, Y. Jang, Sang-Uk Seo, Jun Chang, B. Seong
Related Content
Claims (5)
Some vaccines made with weakened viruses don’t just protect against the specific disease—they might also give your whole immune system a boost that could help protect your brain from damage, unlike other vaccines that only target one part of the virus.
Giving mice a special flu vaccine a few days before exposing them to RSV (a virus that causes colds) stopped the RSV from multiplying in their lungs—even though the flu vaccine wasn’t designed to fight RSV at all.
When mice were given a special vaccine called X-31ca, their bodies quickly made protective signals and sent in immune soldiers to their lungs, and when they later got a common lung virus (RSV), their lungs stayed calmer and less inflamed than usual.
When scientists gave mice a special flu-like vaccine called X-31ca, it helped them fight off a common cold virus — but only if their immune system had two specific sensors (TLR3 and TLR7). When those sensors were turned off, the vaccine stopped working, meaning those sensors are essential for the quick, general protection it provides.
A flu-like vaccine called X-31ca helps mice fight off a common cold virus called RSV, but only for a few days—after about two weeks, it doesn’t work at all.