Work is underway to see how humans respond to various infections and vaccines. The $100 million in funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases will help cover research expenses.

The studies being done at six Human Immune Phenotyping Centers on infections and vaccinations is different in that the research will be done on humans, rather than on animals.

West Nile is one of the viruses that will be researched. The Mayo Clinic says that most people don't become seriously ill with the virus. In most cases, mild symptoms include fever and headache.

Learning how different populations respond to various elements will greatly help doctors learn how to best treat patients. NIAID director of the Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation division Dr. Daniel Rotrosen says that the research will help broaden doctor's knowledge about how the human body works.

"The knowledge gained also will improve our understanding of the range of vaccine responses in particular subpopulations, including newborns, young children, the elderly, patients taking immunosuppressive medications and those with underlying diseases of the immune system, such as allergy and autoimmune diseases," Dr. Rotrosen said.