Children whose genetic make-up means they may not be protected by the standard form of a vaccine could in future be given a personalized shot, research at the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health suggests.

Though all of us usually get the same vaccines in the same doses, not everyone produces enough disease-specific antibodies in response. As a result, between 5 and 20 per cent of people vaccinated against hepatitis B, and between 2 and 10 per cent of those vaccinated against measles, will not be protected if they ever encounter these viruses.