The effectiveness of national influenza vaccination policies for at-risk populations over 5 seasons in a Scottish general practice.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effectiveness of serial influenza vaccination.


METHODS
Studied in a Scottish GP population, the overall seroresponse rate increased with annual influenza vaccinations and after 5 years it increased from 45.1% to 93.3% for influenza virus A (H1) and from 48.4% to 98.3% for influenza virus A (H3). However, there was little boosting effect with further doses after becoming a seroresponder. The pre-vaccination titres were significantly higher in previous year's seroresponders compared to non-responders.


CONCLUSIONS
The policy of annual vaccination is supported by our data in order to increase the disappointing response rate after one dose. However, the lack of a boosting response with subsequent doses and the significant residual immunity after becoming a seroresponder suggests a prior serological immunity check in order to better direct the vaccine supply (in the years of no antigenic drift), to those who need it most.
Sivaprakasam
V
V
West of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre, Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland, UK. ventakra@yahoo.com
Douglas
J
J
Selvaraj
S
S
MacIntyre
S
S
Carman
W F
WF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005194:Family Practice; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007223:Infant; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007252:Influenza Vaccines