Science· 2026Q1
The human gut microbiome primes fever after vaccination
- 1citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
The human gut microbiome primes vaccine-induced fever by increasing flagellated Lachnospiraceae bacteria and flagellin expression before vaccination.
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Key points
- Fever risk after vaccination correlates with pre-vaccine gut microbiome composition, specifically increased flagellated Lachnospiraceae bacteria and flagellin expression.
- Microbiomes from fever-prone individuals induced greater inflammation in human intestinal organoids.
- Flagellin from the gut microbiome drives vaccine reactions in gnotobiotic mice.
- Diet influences microbiome flagellin phenotypes and vaccine reactions in mice, and human fever risk is associated with diet and metabolic markers.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Fever is a common adverse reaction to vaccination, contributing to vaccine hesitancy and reduced uptake. To understand variation in fever risk, we longitudinally profiled fecal microbiota, oral temperature, and serological markers in 171 healthy adults receiving Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 mRNA vaccines. Fever risk correlated with low-grade intestinal inflammation, increased abundance of flagellated Lachnospiraceae bacteria, and increased flagellin expression prevaccine. Microbiomes from fever-high donors triggered stronger inflammation in human intestinal organoids and drove flagellin-dependent vaccine reactions in gnotobiotic mice. Moreover, microbiome flagellin phenotypes and murine vaccine reactions were modifiable by diet. Consistent with this, human fever risk was associated with self-reported diet and metabolic markers. These findings identify the gut microbiome as a driver of vaccine-induced fever, suggesting that microbiome-targeting strategies could modulate immune tone and improve vaccine side effects.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Science, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Molecular Biology
Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology