Is it a reasonable gamble for karen to skip the influenza vaccine this year?

No, it is not a reasonable gamble for Karen to skip the influenza vaccine this year.

There are many factors which can increase a person's risk of developing the influenza virus and some of these factors are age, health condition, weakened immune system, pregnancy, or chronic illnesses.

Karen is older and her age could act as a risk factor for influenza. In addition, each year there are different strains of the virus since the virus is constantly changing and evolving. Given this, a person who got the vaccine last year is still in danger of not having the antibodies which can protect from this year's strain. 

Karen should get the influenza vaccine this year as well.

Some of her  assignments would be creation of drugs. she is a medical chemist after all so she'd need to have the necessary knowledge to make medicine which can later be sold in a pharmacy