Researchers have shown that within immune structures called the germinal centre, the mislocation of Tfh cells causes reduced capacity to respond well to vaccination with age. The research also identified that Tfh cells have a previously unappreciated role in supporting stromal cell responses to vaccines. The research demonstrates that age-dependent defects in the germinal centre response are reversible. These findings add to our understanding of the mechanisms behind a reduced immune response with age, allowing strategies to be developed to overcome or correct these to ensure the generation of robust immunological memory after vaccination.