title: Duration of Infant Protection Against Influenza Illness Conferred by Maternal Immunization: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.
abstract: Influenza immunization of women during pregnancy protects the young infants against influenza illness. The duration of this protection remains unclear.
  
  
  
  To evaluate the duration of infant protection conferred by maternal immunization and its association with transplacental antibody transfer.
  
  
  
  Infants born to women who participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in 2011 and 2012 on the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV3) during pregnancy were followed up during the first 6 months of life for polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed influenza illness. In a secondary analysis of a subset of infants, hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) antibodies were measured. The study was performed at a single center in South Africa. The secondary analysis was performed in October 2014.
  
  
  
  Maternal immunization for influenza.
  
  
  
  The vaccine's efficacy against PCR-confirmed influenza illness and the percentage of infants with HAI titers of 1:40 or more by age group.
  
  
  
  There were 1026 infants (47.2% female) born to IIV3 recipients and 1023 infants (47.3% female) born to placebo recipients who were included in the analysis of the vaccine's efficacy. The vaccine's efficacy against PCR-confirmed influenza illness was highest among infants 8 weeks of age or younger at 85.6% (95% CI, 38.3%-98.4%) and decreased with increasing age to 25.5% (95% CI, -67.9% to 67.8%) among infants 8 to 16 weeks of age and to 30.3% (95% CI, -154.9% to 82.6%) among infants 16 to 24 weeks of age. Similarly, in the IIV3 group, the percentage of infants with HAI titers of 1:40 or more to the influenza vaccine strains decreased from more than 56% in the first week of life to less than 40% at 16 weeks of age and less than 10.0% at 24 weeks of age.
  
  
  
  Maternal immunization conferred protection against infection in the infants for a limited period during early life. The lack of protection beyond 8 weeks of age correlated with a decrease in maternally derived antibodies.
  
  
  
  clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01306669.
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation, Vaccine Preventable Diseases, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa2Medical Research Council, Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Marta C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation, Vaccine Preventable Diseases, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa2Medical Research Council, Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Clare L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Cutland
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation, Vaccine Preventable Diseases, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa2Medical Research Council, Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation, Vaccine Preventable Diseases, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa2Medical Research Council, Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hugo
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation, Vaccine Preventable Diseases, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa2Medical Research Council, Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Madimabe
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council, Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa3Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado and Center for Global Health, Aurora.
authors.forename: Eric A F
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics, Medicine, and Pathology, University of Colorado, Aurora.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation, Vaccine Preventable Diseases, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa2Medical Research Council, Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa5National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Division of National Health Laboratory Service, Centre for Vaccines and Immunology, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Shabir A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Madhi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D010920:Placenta; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D013019:South Africa
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines