MODELING THE EFFECTS OF UPDATING THE INFLUENZA VACCINE ON THE EFFICACY OF REPEATED VACCINATION.

Conference · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 2000

OSTI ID:767004

SMITH, D; LAPEDES, A

The accumulated wisdom is to update the vaccine strain to the expected epidemic strain only when there is at least a 4-fold difference [measured by the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay] between the current vaccine strain and the expected epidemic strain. In this study we investigate the effect, on repeat vaccines, of updating the vaccine when there is a less than 4-fold difference. Methods: Using a computer model of the immune response to repeated vaccination, we simulated updating the vaccine on a 2-fold difference and compared this to not updating the vaccine, in each case predicting the vaccine efficacy in first-time and repeat vaccines for a variety of possible epidemic strains. Results: Updating the vaccine strain on a 2-fold difference resulted in increased vaccine efficacy in repeat vaccines compared to leaving the vaccine unchanged. Conclusions: These results suggest that updating the vaccine strain on a 2-fold difference between the existing vaccine strain and the expected epidemic strain will increase vaccine efficacy in repeat vaccines compared to leaving the vaccine unchanged.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 767004
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-00-5337
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
COMPUTERS
HEMAGGLUTININS
INFLUENZA
STRAINS
VACCINES