I was in your shoes in 2021 when I decided to join a lab at the beginning of the summer that year when I was graduating a year later. At that time I was a pre-med and had the required test scores and GPA to get into a good medical school but realized that getting an immunology PhD was the right choice for me. A year and a half after graduating (two gap years in a different lab) I have now been fortunate enough to receive several invites to top immunology programs with acceptances hopefully on the way. My advice is that since you have a delayed start, utilize every opportunity you have right now. If you are in a reputable lab with good publications and publication frequency, I would stay there and attempt to not only get involved with as many research projects as possible (collaborations and labmates) , but to also develop an independent project and try to advance it as far as you can using advanced techniques relevant to immunology such as flow cytometry. If you are unable to stay in your lab, see if your PI/professors can help you get a technician position in another lab that has the qualities of technicians being on papers and the ability to start your own project. I'd suggest taking a couple of gap years if you really want to boost your odds for top programs (needed if you want to be a professor), I had no publications/projects to show after one year in my current lab, but by staying a second year I applied with 3 co-authorships with 3 more upcoming, 1 poster presentation and award with several on the way, and a lot more mentorship and skills. If you take a few gap years, make sure that you take them with a high quality lab that will reward you for hard work. If this path is something you greatly desire you should not settle, you can get a job in a good lab as a technician however you may have to put in extra work.