Influenza Vaccine Efficacy Study
Author Information
Author(s): Jiří Beran, Veronika Wertzova, Karel Honegr, Eva Kaliskova, Martina Havlickova, Jiří Havlik, Helena Jirincova, Pascale Van Belle, Varsha Jain, Bruce Innis, Jeanne-Marie Devaster
Primary Institution: The Vaccination and Travel Medicine Center, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
Hypothesis
What is the efficacy of a trivalent inactivated split virus influenza vaccine (TIV) against culture-confirmed influenza A and/or B in adults during the 2005/2006 season?
Conclusion
The study was unable to demonstrate the efficacy of TIV due to a low attack rate and a mismatch between the circulating B strain and the vaccine strain.
Supporting Evidence
- The attack rate in the vaccine group was 0.7%, and in the placebo group, it was 0.9%.
- Only 46 culture-confirmed cases were found in the study cohort.
- 35 of the 36 influenza B isolates were identified as antigenically unrelated to the vaccine B strain.
Takeaway
The study tried to see if a flu vaccine worked, but there weren't enough flu cases to tell if it was effective.
Methodology
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 6203 subjects receiving either TIV or placebo.
Limitations
The study faced a low attack rate and a mismatch between the vaccine strain and circulating strains.
Participant Demographics
Healthy adults aged 18 to 64 years, predominantly white Caucasian.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI -49.1% to 58.5%
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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