Vaccination is an excellent strategy to limit the morbidity and mortality associated with infectious disease. Vaccination creates protective, long-lived antibody-mediated immunity by inducing the germinal centre response, an intricate immune reaction that produces memory B cells and long-lived antibody-secreting plasma cells that provide protection against (re)infection. The magnitude and quality of the germinal centre response declines with age, contributing to poor vaccine-induced immunity in older individuals. T follicular helper cells are essential for the formation and function of the germinal centre response. This review will discuss how age-dependent changes in T follicular helper cells influence the germinal centre response, and the evidence that age-dependent changes need not be a barrier to successful vaccination in the later years of life.

疫苗接种是限制传染病相关发病率和死亡率的绝佳策略。疫苗接种通过诱导生发中心反应来产生保护性、长效的抗体介导的免疫，生发中心反应是一种复杂的免疫反应，可产生记忆 B 细胞和长效的抗体分泌浆细胞，从而提供针对（再）感染的保护。生发中心反应的程度和质量随着年龄的增长而下降，导致老年人疫苗诱导的免疫力较差。滤泡辅助 T 细胞对于生发中心反应的形成和功能至关重要。本综述将讨论滤泡辅助 T 细胞的年龄依赖性变化如何影响生发中心反应，以及年龄依赖性变化不一定成为晚年成功接种疫苗的障碍的证据。