Flu shot may provide protection to Fetus

New York -- U.S. researchers say giving flu shots to pregnant women may kick-start their baby's immune system.

A newly developed technique known as MHC tetramer staining has facilitated the detection of antigen-specific T cells, Columbia University Medical Center said Friday in a release.

A report in the Journal of Clinical Investigation said a team led by Rachel Miller at Columbia used the technique to study cord blood B and T cell immune responses in women who were vaccinated with Fluzone during pregnancy.

The authors detected anti-Fluzone antibodies in approximately 40 percent of the cord blood specimens.
The report said the findings support the theory that the human neonatal immune system is capable of responding to environmental exposures.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.