Influenza vaccines in children. Comparison of new cetrimonium bromide and standard ether-treated vaccines
P. A. Gross, G. V. Quinnan, P. F. Gaerlan, C. R. Denning, M. Lazicki and M. Bernius
We compared a new cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) subunit vaccine with a
conventional polysorbate (Tween)-ether split-product vaccine in 63 children
and young adults. The vaccines each contained influenza A/Bangkok/79,
A/Brazil/78, B/Singapore/79; two doses were given one month apart. Among
persons initially seronegative for A/Bangkok/79, the geometric mean
antibody titer rose to more than 100 following one dose of vaccine, while
those initially seropositive had titers of greater than 200 after one dose
of either vaccine. Neither vaccine was able to induce comparable antibody
titers to A/Brazil/78 or B/Singapore/79 after one dose in initially
seronegative persons. After two doses the titers were greater than 100 for
A/Brazil but not for B/Singapore. An A/Bangkok epidemic struck the New York
City metropolitan area. The attack rate in the unvaccinated matched sibling
control group was 35% (15/43). Only two of the 27 recipients of cetrimonium
bromide vaccine and none of the 36 polysorbate-ether vaccines had a
fourfold or greater increase in antibody titer during the epidemic.
