TY  -  JOUR
AU  -  Cianci, Rossella
AU  -  Caldarelli, Mario
AU  -  Gambassi, Giovanni
T1  -  Sex differences in vaccine responses: toward personalized vaccinology
PY  -  2026
Y1  -  2026-01-01
DO  -  10.1723/4653.46673
JO  -  Journal of Sex- and Gender-Specific Medicine
JA  -  J Sex Gender Specif Med
VL  -  12
IS  -  1
SP  -  1
EP  -  3
PB  -  Il Pensiero Scientifico Editore
SN  -  2974-8623
Y2  -  2026/04/25
UR  -  http://dx.doi.org/10.1723/4653.46673
N2  -  Summary. Understanding and recognizing the importance of sex differences in the immune response to vaccines is critical to establishing their efficacy, safety, and long-term protection. Extensive literature indicates that women mount a more vigorous humoral and cellular immune response than men, a difference driven by hormonal influences, genetic determinants, and gut microbiota-related mechanisms. Along with such stronger responses also comes a greater incidence of reactogenicity and adverse events associated with vaccines. On the other hand, men generally show lower immunogenicity after vaccination, and they tend to report fewer adverse events. Different stages of the life course, including puberty, pregnancy, menopause, and aging, also influence sex-based differences. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to analyze sex-based patterns on a large scale. The need to conduct sex-disaggregated analyses at all vaccine development stages, including clinical trials and drug safety monitoring phases, emerges very clearly. Such analyses should include both biological sex and gender-related behaviors as well as sociocultural variables. A move toward a sex-based approach will increase equity in vaccination, maximize vaccine efficacy, and reduce avoidable adverse effects in the population.
ER  -