Time for your personalised shot (Image: Phanie Agency/Rex Features)

CHILDREN whose genetic make-up means they may not be protected by the standard form of a vaccine could in future be given a personalised shot. This is the prospect raised by the discovery of gene variants that seem to predict whether an individual will produce enough antibodies in response to a vaccine to protect them against disease.

Vaccines expose the immune system to a deactivated version of a disease agent. This prompts the production of specific antibodies, which will bind to the real disease-causing agent if the vaccinated person is later …