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High-dose flu vaccine noninferior to standard-dose in elderly

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SAN FRANCISCO — A high-dose influenza vaccine produced antibody titer levels that were noninferior to those produced by a standard-dose influenza vaccine among nursing home residents, researchers reported here.

In addition, the high-dose vaccine was superior for all strains except for influenza A (H1N1) in the 2012-2013 influenza season.

“These data show that the high-dose vaccine may be preferable for patients in long-term care, especially if the physician wants to see higher antibody titers,” Richard Zimmerman, MD, MPH, professor in the department of family medicine at University of Pittsburgh, told Infectious Disease News.

 

Richard Zimmerman

Zimmerman and colleagues conducted the study during the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 influenza seasons. At baseline, 205 elderly nursing home residents provided blood samples to measure hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titers. The residents were randomly assigned to standard-dose or high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine. One month after vaccine administration, the HI levels were measured again.

In the 2011-2012 season, 56 participants completed the study and in the 2012-2013 season, 113 completed the study. Thirty-four participants completed both years. In both seasons, the high-dose vaccine produced geometric mean titer responses to influenza A (H1N1), influenza A (H3N2) and influenza B strains that were non-inferior to those produced by the standard-dose vaccine.

In the 2011-2012 season, the high-dose vaccine induced superior antibody responses to all three strains, whereas in the 2012-2013 season, it induced superior antibody responses to influenza A (H3N2) and the influenza B strains.

“The clinical effectiveness of high dose vaccine in long-term care settings is unknown and a good future research question,” Zimmerman said.

For more information:

Zimmerman RK. #576b. Presented at: ID Week 2013; Oct. 2-6; San Francisco.

Disclosure: Zimmerman is a grant investigator and has received research grants from Sanofi.