Revised (1972-1973) Bivalent Influenza Vaccine
Serum and Nasal Antibody Responses to Parenteral Vaccination
- Richard P. Wenzel, MD;
- J. Owen Hendley, MD;
- Merle A. Sande, MD;
- Jack M. Gwaltney Jr., MD
Abstract
A new (1972-1973), more potent inactivated influenza vaccine was evaluated for acceptability and effectiveness in stimulating serum and nasal antibodies. The vaccine contained 700 chick cell agglutination (CCA) units of A2 Hong Kong antigen and 300 CCA units of B antigen (B/Mass/71). Injection of the vaccine into 100 middle-aged and elderly volunteers was well tolerated and effective in stimulating serum hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and nasal neutralizing antibody to the A2 component. All men with undetectable serum HI titers of <10 and 62% of men with serum HI titers of ≤ 160 had serum antibody responses.
A direct correlation between serum HI antibody titers and nasal neutralizing antibody titers was demonstrated. All men with ≥ 16-fold serum rise had ≥ 4-fold nasal antibody rises. Since both serum and nasal antibodies may have protective roles, influenza vaccines should induce high titers of both systemic and local antibodies.
Footnotes
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Reprint requests to Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22901 (Dr. Wenzel).
