00:00 Close
up flu leaflets
Flu
jab syringe
Flu
Leaflets
Ext
Birmingham City centre
People
walking in city centre
Guide Voice: Whatever the likelihood of an
outbreak of avian flu this year, the more common variety of
‘flu is a regular visitor among the British population each
winter, responsible for anywhere between 200 and 30,000 deaths
annually. Since the 1960’s the popularity and reliability of
flu vaccination has been growing steadily, and the government
recommends that anyone over 65 should have the jab to cut the risk
of contracting flu.
In a new study by the University of Birmingham, 184 people from
different surgeries across the city took part in a research project
designed to measure people’s immune response to the flu
vaccination, and research whether different psychological factors
affected it
00:39 SOT: Dr Anna Phillips, School of Sport and
Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham
-“What we did with this study is that we went into these
five surgeries and asked people who were over the age of 65 would
they mind also giving us a blood sample as well as having their
vaccination and fill in a set of questionnaires about the
sort of stressful life events they’d experienced and things
like how happy they were with their marriage and what sort of
friendships they had, whether they got a lot of support on a daily
basis.”
01:01 People
waiting in doctor’s surgery waiting room
Close
up ‘Influenza Study – Questionnaire Pack 3’
Nurse
administering flu jab
Close
up on injection
Dr
Phillips taking blood test
Putting
blood sample in rack
Blood
sample being tested
Close
up on Dr Phillips
Dr
Phillips putting blood sample in rack
Guide Voice: The results of the questionnaires
would later be cross referenced with the results of blood tests
taken before and after the flu jab. The flu vaccine activates the
immune response and prompts the production of antibodies in the
blood, which will then fight flu itself if the patient is exposed
to it.
By taking a blood test before the flu jab itself and then a
month later, they were able to compare the immune response in the
different blood samples by counting the number of antibodies
produced. A higher level of antibodies meant a higher level of
immunity to the flu jab, which in turn meant a higher level of
resistance to flu itself.
While the study was expected to reveal a number of different
factors affecting the results one negative factor stood out.
01:41 SOT Dr Anna Phillips -
"What we’ve found here is that when you’re
looking at elderly people a particularly serious stressful event
that they experience quite regularly which is bereavement can
actually have a negative effect on their immune response to
vaccination so this means that people who have had this event in
the year prior to vaccination will have a poorer response to this
vaccine."
01:59 Mr
& Mrs Ball arriving in surgery waiting room
Pan
from receptionist to Mr & Mrs Ball
Mr
& Mrs Ball filling out questionnaires
Close
up on questionnaire
Guide Voice: But there was another clear
finding that stood out too. People who describe themselves as
happily married showed a higher antibody response to the Flu jab,
indicating a stronger immunity to flu. Mr & Mrs Ball took part
in the study, they have been married for 51 years and have a clear
idea of what makes a happy marriage
02:17 SOT Mr & Mrs Ball, study
participants - “We are on the same wavelength,
we like the same things we do the same sort of hobbies and
everything like that and its give and take I think that makes a
good marriage.”
02:30 CU
Injection
CU
Patients arm
Wide
– nurse and patient
Guide Voice: The Ball’s have been having
the flu jab regularly since the seventies and are firm believers in
its value:
02:37 SOT vox pop Mr & Mrs Ball -
"What would you’re advice be to other people?“
“Oh to take it, to have the flu jab keep you free from flu no
doubt about it”
02:48 Wide
– exterior surgery
Wide
– Mr & Mrs. Ball leave surgery
Guide Voice: The findings open up new areas for
the researchers to follow up
02:53 Dr Anna Phillips - “There
are two ways in which this study can go. First we would like to
look more closely at the mechanisms so that we can understand how
these factors are impacting on peoples’ immune response and
secondly we would like to see what we can actually do about it, can
we intervene at some level to improve peoples’ immune
response so what we mean by that is can we help people who’ve
been bereaved help mount a better immune response to vaccination
perhaps with bereavement counselling and we could do the same with
marriage counselling to help people be happier in their marriage
and therefore have a better immune response.”
03:23
ENDS
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