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Flu News for Senior Citizens
High-Dose Flu Vaccine Shows Increased Immune
Response Among Senior Citizens
Key finding is that the new high-dose vaccine
increased the immune responses to all three influenza strains
 Oct. 26, 2008 – A high-dose influenza vaccine
demonstrated in testing an increased immune responses among senior
citizens - adults 65 years of age and older - compared with the standard
influenza vaccine, according to an announcement today by Sanofi Pasteur,
the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group. Approximately 90% of the
36,000 average annual influenza-associated deaths occur among elderly
adults 65 years of age and older.
The authors of this study explain that as people
age, the immune system tends to weaken. Older adults become not only
more susceptible to infections, but also less responsive to vaccination.
When infected with the influenza virus, seniors are
less able to mount an immune response to neutralize the attack.
Although, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) says the currently available inactivated influenza
vaccine does offers public health benefits in reducing influenza-related
morbidity and mortality in older adults.
"Development of an influenza vaccine that will
provide an improved immune response in older adults is important because
this population has the highest rates of complications from influenza
including hospitalization and death," said Ann R. Falsey, MD Associate
Professor of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine,
Rochester, NY; Infectious Diseases Unit, Rochester General Hospital.
The results for the high-dose intramuscular
formulation of the influenza vaccine were reported today at the 48th
Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC)/Infectious
Diseases Society of America (IDSA) 46th annual meeting.
Study Results
The Phase III study of almost 4,000 people 65 years
of age and older compared the high-dose influenza vaccine with the
standard inactivated influenza vaccine formulated for the 2006-2007
season.
The key finding is that the new high-dose vaccine
increased the immune responses to all three influenza strains compared
with standard vaccine in the study population.
An important additional observation was that the
increased immune response was also observed in the potentially more
vulnerable subset of study participants who had no measurable
circulating protective antibodies before receiving their annual
influenza vaccine.
In the randomized double-blind study conducted at
30 centers throughout the United States, 2,575 people received the
high-dose influenza vaccine and 1,262 received the standard influenza
vaccine. The standard influenza vaccine contained 15µg of hemagglutinin
(HA) of each of three influenza strains, and the high-dose vaccine
contained four times as much, 60µg HA per strain. Both vaccines
contained two influenza type A strains (H1N1 and H3N2) and one influenza
type B strain.
After 28 days, investigators assessed serum
hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titers in study participants, a
standard measurement of the immune response to influenza vaccination.
HAI titers are thought by researchers to correlate
with increased protection against illness after exposure to influenza.
Statistically significant higher HAI titers against
all three influenza virus strains were reported in those who received
the high-dose vaccine compared with those who received the standard
vaccine.
Immunogenicity results met pre-defined criteria for
overall superiority of the high-dose vaccine.
In a post hoc analysis, study investigators also
examined post-vaccination immune responses induced by the two vaccines
among a subgroup of study participants with no protective antibodies (HAI
titers less than 1:10 as measured by their pre-vaccination serum
sample). This subset of the study population represents a group who may
be at even higher risk for severe influenza disease and its associated
complications.
About sanofi-aventis
Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical
company, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to
improve the lives of everyone. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (EURONEXT:
SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of
sanofi-aventis Group, provided more than 1.6 billion doses of vaccine in
2007, making it possible to immunize more than 500 million people across
the globe. A world leader in the vaccine industry, sanofi pasteur offers
the broadest range of vaccines protecting against 20 infectious
diseases. The company's heritage, to create vaccines that protect life,
dates back more than a century. Sanofi Pasteur is the largest company
entirely dedicated to vaccines. Every day, the company invests more than
EUR1 million in research and development. For more information, visit:
www.sanofipasteur.com or
www.sanofipasteur.us
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