Table 1:

Knowledge Gaps in Infant Immunology

How do infections and vaccinations in infancy and early childhood shape the clonal B cell and T cell populations forming the immunological memory to particular pathogens, such as influenza virus, and how does the early memory pool affect subsequent responses later in childhood? What are the effects of non-pathogen exposures in infancy and early life (including the microbiota, and food and aeroallergens) on adaptive immune development and development of immunological diseases such as allergy? What environmental exposures are responsible for the increasing rates of allergy in children? How do routes of antigen access to the infant immune system shape responses? What are the specific mechanistic effects on adaptive immune system development of vaginal versus caesarian section birth, and breast-feeding versus formula feeding? How can vaccines be designed to optimize infant immune responses and durable immunity?