An influenza A/H3 outbreak during the 2004/2005 winter in elderly vaccinated people living in a nursing home.
This study examined the antibody response against the three vaccine antigens and the epidemic A/H3N2 drift variant (A/California) and the prevention of laboratory diagnosed influenza infections in a group of elderly institutionalized people vaccinated with the 2004/2005 influenza vaccine. Antibody titres were measured by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) in sera collected before and 1 month after vaccination. Laboratory diagnosis was done examining throat swabs (RT-PCR or MDCK cell culture) or by serology (seroconversion comparing HI titres in sera collected 1 and 5 months after vaccination). Results obtained showed that influenza vaccination induced an adequate immune response against the three vaccine antigens and the epidemic A/H3N2 variant, however it was not capable of preventing an influenza outbreak due to the new A/H3N2 (A/California) variant.
Iorio
A M
AM
Department of Hygiene, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, I-06100 Perugia, Italy. anna@unipg.it
Neri
M
M
Lepri
E
E
Camilloni
B
B
Basileo
M
M
Sigismondi
N
N
Fabiani
C
C
Calzoletti
L
L
Puzelli
S
S
Donatelli
I
I
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006801:Humans; D053122:Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D009735:Nursing Homes; D014611:Vaccination
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007252:Influenza Vaccines