Maintaining cleanliness and good hygiene doesn't necessarily weaken a child's immune system

In a recent study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers from UCL and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine have disputed the theory that modern society is too clean, leading to defective immune systems in children. The study, titled "Does the epithelial barrier hypothesis explain the increase in allergy, autoimmunity and other chronic conditions?", was conducted by Emeritus Professor of Medical Microbiology Graham Rook from UCL Infection & Immunity.

The study argues that vaccines strengthen our immune systems and do not require exposure to pathogens. This is in line with the earlier study, "Vaccinology: Time to Change the Paradigm?" published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases in 2020, which was co-authored by Rino Rappuoli, Jeremy R. Brown, and Ennio De Gregorio.

Professor Rook explains that exposure to our mothers, family members, the natural environment, and vaccines can provide all the microbial inputs that we need. He further suggests that targeted hygiene and cleaning practices can limit direct exposure of children to cleaning agents, avoiding potential damage that encourages the development of allergic responses, as recent research demonstrates.

Contrary to popular belief, domestic cleaning and hygiene have no bearing on our exposure to the natural environment, according to the study. The new research does not present any new evidence suggesting that domestic cleaning and hygiene have a significant impact on our exposure to the natural environment.

The study also highlights the microorganisms of the natural green environment as particularly important for our health. Another study, "Food allergy as a biological food quality control system", published in Cell in 2021, supports this notion. The paper was written by Ronald van Ree.

The study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology does not specify any new conflicting findings with the earlier study's conclusions. The 2021 paper has the DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.05.008.

In summary, the new study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology challenges the theory of a too clean society, affirming the strength of vaccines and the importance of exposure to the natural environment for a healthy immune system. The study was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in 2021.