A new report from the British Society for Immunology (BSI) and the CARINA Network calls for greater recognition of immune health in the UK’s healthy ageing agenda.
One in four people in the UK are projected to be aged 65 or over by 2050. At the same time, recent research from the Health Foundation shows that healthy life expectancy in the UK is declining, highlighting the challenge of helping people live healthier lives for longer.
Published on 1 October, the UN International Day of Older Persons, Immunity for Life: making immune health central to UK healthy ageing policy calls for immune health to play a more prominent role in national policy, research and healthcare.
The report has been developed by the British Society for Immunology (BSI), the UK’s leading organisation representing immunologists, and the CARINA (CAtalyst Reducing ImmuNe Ageing) Network, a research collaboration focused on immune ageing.
Why does immune health matter for healthy ageing?
The immune system changes throughout life, influencing how the body responds to infections and vaccinations, manages inflammation, repairs tissue and recovers from illness and treatment.
However, immune ageing varies considerably between individuals. It is influenced by genetics and existing health, as well as lifelong experiences and wider social factors, including housing, working conditions, nutrition, stress, deprivation and access to healthcare.
These differences highlight the importance of understanding how social and environmental inequalities can influence immune health as people age. The report calls for more representative research to ensure that evidence reflects diverse populations and can inform approaches that benefit everyone.
Five recommendations to support immune health
Developed following a multidisciplinary expert roundtable in November 2025, chaired by Professor Janet Lord, the report brings together perspectives from immunology, vaccinology, public health, regulation and vaccine development.
It sets out five recommendations to help strengthen the evidence base and embed immune health in the UK’s healthy ageing agenda:
- Strengthen policy ownership and coordination to ensure immune health is considered across relevant areas of healthy ageing policy.
- Build a connected research agenda to address key gaps in understanding immune ageing and its impact on health.
- Make better use of existing cohorts and biobanks to strengthen research into immune health across the life course.
- Generate evidence from more representative populations, reflecting the diversity of people and experiences that influence immune ageing.
- Connect research with NHS and public health needs so that scientific findings can inform practical approaches to prevention, healthcare and healthy ageing.
The report also highlights the importance of consistent terminology and measures for studying immune ageing, stronger long-term evidence and public involvement in research.
Embedding immune health in existing policy
Rather than calling for a standalone strategy on immune ageing, the report recommends integrating immune health into existing policy and practice, including vaccination, prevention, frailty, long-term conditions, healthy ageing and life sciences. It recommends stronger coordination across these areas, alongside more connected research and closer links between scientific evidence and NHS and public health priorities.
Professor Janet Lord, Professor of Immune Cell Biology and member of the CARINA Network Management Group, who chaired the roundtable, said:
“Bringing immune health into policies on vaccination, long-term conditions, frailty and population health would help translate a rapidly developing area of science into practical action, reducing avoidable illness and supporting healthier later lives.”
