Why vaccines may fail in older adults: new study investigates immune cell role
NCT ID NCT06128915
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at how a type of immune cell called neutrophils affects the body's response to the pneumococcal vaccine in young (21-40) and older (65+) adults. Researchers will measure how well neutrophils kill pneumonia bacteria after vaccination. The goal is to understand why vaccine responses decline with age, which could help improve vaccines for older populations.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Pneumococcal vaccine (20 serotypes)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could explain why older adults respond less to vaccines and point toward ways to improve vaccine effectiveness in the elderly.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage observational study (60 participants) that measures immune cell activity, not clinical outcomes. It may not lead to any direct treatment or vaccine changes.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2024
- Expected to finish
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May 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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21 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Both sexes * Have not been vaccinated with any licensed or experimental pneumococcal vaccine * Ages 21-40; and ≥65. Individuals \>60 years old will also be recruited in case we find no unvaccinated people ≥65 years old * Free of acute infections within the last 2 weeks * Did not take any anti-inflammatory medicine in the last week * Did not ingest alcohol in the last 24 hours * Ability and willingness to provide consent Exclusion Criteria: * Previous vaccination with any licensed or experimental pneumococcal vaccine * Known hypersensitivity to vaccination and vaccine components * Immune deficiency * Use of immune-modulating or suppressive drugs * Malignancies within the last 2 years * Known hematological, rheumatic and inflammatory diseases * Known chronic infections * Poorly controlled chronic cardiovascular and metabolic conditions * Pregnancy * Dementia
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University at Buffalo
RECRUITINGBuffalo, New York, 14203, United States
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