Shane Crotty, a leading immunologist and virologist from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, discusses a groundbreaking study on upper airway mucosal immunity. He delves into how the immune system responds in the upper respiratory tract during COVID-19, focusing on innovative sampling techniques and the vital role of T follicular helper cells. Shane highlights the development of nasal vaccines to enhance immunity at the infection site and reveals how age affects these immune responses. His insights promise to advance our understanding of resilience against respiratory infections.