Combination Vaccines

Combination vaccines have been around since 1945 (trivalent influenza vaccine) and they combine either different serotypes of one microorganism (e.g., influenza or pneumococcal vaccines) or different microorganisms (e.g., DTP combinations). Potential chemical and physical interactions, unpredictable immunological interactions, and in one instance: increased AE, increasing likelihood of production failures, and reduced flexibility of a vaccination program are challenges for developing combination vaccines. With an increasing number of new vaccines for protecting the very young, DTaP- and DTwP-based combinations have become the cornerstone of pediatric vaccination programs around the globe since the mid-1990s. Live vaccine combinations include MR, MMR, and MMRV combinations as well as (trivalent) OPV. Combination vaccines for travelers include HAV-HBV combination and HAV-Ty vaccines. Dozens of diverse combination vaccine products are licensed today around the globe, some of them only in single countries to cover specific local needs. Combination vaccines have been shown to result in increased acceptance, completion and compliance with vaccination programs; in addition, they offer simplified logistics, reduce administration errors, reduce the number of medical visits and cost for the individual as well as for society, among other benefits.

A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of influenza vaccination and probiotic supplementation on immune response and incidence of influenza-like illness in an elderly population in Indonesia

Aim To investigate the effect of influenza vaccination with or without probiotic supplementation on the immune response and incidence of influenza-like illness (ILI) in the elderly. Methods A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with a modified factorial design was conducted in 554 healthy elderly subjects aged 67 ± 5.6 (ranging from 60–90) years old in the Primary Health Care Center (Puskesmas area) of the Pulo Gadung District East Jakarta. Subjects received either a trivalent influenza vaccine or placebo at the start of the study, and a probiotic supplement (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011) or a placebo for 6 months. Subjects were randomly assigned into four intervention groups: influenza vaccine and probiotics (n = 141), influenza vaccine and placebo (n = 136), placebo and probiotics (n = 140), and both placebo (n = 137). The primary outcome was ILI incidence within 6 months. The secondary outcomes were seroprotection and seroconversion rates at 1, 4, and 6 months after administering the interventions. Results This study showed that the trivalent influenza vaccine increased seroprotection (RR 3.6 [95%CI 2.92–4.47]; p<0.010) and seroconversion (RR 29.8 [95%CI 11.1–79.5]; p<0.010) rates 1 month after vaccination in elderly people while the probiotic supplement did not alter influenza antibody titers (p = 1.000 and p = 0.210). The relative ILI incidence risk was similar between vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups, as well as in the probiotic group compared to the non-probiotic group. Conclusion The tested trivalent influenza vaccine significantly induced seroprotection and seroconversion in the vaccinated subjects, while probiotics administration did not influence these parameters. Vaccinated individuals displayed a similarly low ILI incidence as those in the Control Group. However, the observed trend towards a reduction of ILI incidence with probiotics supplementation warrants further assessments in a larger, at-risk population. Clinical trial registry number NCT03695432.

Influenza B Lineages Have More in Common Than Meets the Eye. Trivalent Influenza Vaccines Trigger Heterotypic Antibodies Against Both Influenza B Viruses

Influenza B is accountable for an important burden during flu epidemics, causing special impact in children and the elderly. Vaccination is the best approach to address influenza infections. However, one of the main problems of this virus is that two different lineages circulate together, Victoria and Yamagata; and trivalent vaccines, that only contain one of these lineages, are still in use. For that reason, if during an epidemic, the lineage not included in the vaccine predominates, a mismatch would occur, and the vaccine effectiveness will be very poor. In this work, we evaluated the cross-protection given by the trivalent Influenza vaccine and compared serological profiles based on age, sex, and the type of vaccine used. We performed a retrospective analysis of serum samples obtained before and after seasonal influenza vaccination during 20 seasons (1998–2018). The results showed that heterotypic reactivity between both influenza B lineages is common, but always lower than the homologous response. Age is a relevant factor for this cross-reactivity between both lineages, while the sex and the type of vaccine not. Vaccination with trivalent influenza vaccines elicits cross-reactive antibodies against both lineages, however, this response might not be enough to provide an appropriate serological protection in case of mismatch.

25. Relative Effectiveness of Adjuvanted Trivalent Influenza Vaccine Compared to Egg-Based Trivalent High-Dose Influenza Vaccine among U.S. Older Adults during 2019-20 Influenza Season

Background According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), during the 2019-20 U.S. influenza season, influenza resulted in almost 180,000 hospitalizations and over 13,000 deaths in adults ≥ 65 years. The current study evaluated the relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) of adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine (aTIV) compared to high-dose trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV-HD), against influenza-related hospitalizations/emergency room (ER) visits, all-cause hospitalizations and hospitalizations/ER visits for cardio-respiratory disease (CRD) among adults ≥65 years for the 2019-20 influenza season. Methods A retrospective cohort analysis of older adults (≥ 65 years) was conducted using IQVIA’s professional fee, prescription claims and hospital charge master data in the U.S. Baseline characteristics included age, gender, payer type, geographic region, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), comorbidities, indicators of frail health status, and pre-index hospitalization rates. To avoid any influenza outcome misclassification with COVID-19 infection, the study period ended March 7, 2020. Adjusted analyses were conducted through inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to control for selection bias. Poisson regression was used to estimate the adjusted pairwise rVE against influenza-related hospitalizations/ER visits, all-cause hospitalizations and any hospitalization/ER visit for CRD. An unrelated negative control outcome, urinary tract infection (UTI) hospitalization was included. Results During the 2019-20 influenza season, following IPTW, 798,987 recipients of aTIV and 1,655,979 recipients of TIV-HD were identified. After IPTW adjustment and Poisson regression, aTIV was statistically comparable to TIV-HD for prevention of influenza-related hospitalizations/ER visits (3.1%; 95% CI: -2.8%-8.6%) and all-cause hospitalizations (-0.7%; 95% CI: -1.6%-0.3%). Similar comparable outcomes were found for reduction of any hospitalization/ER visit for CRD (0.9%; 95% CI: 0.0%-1.7%). No treatment effect was identified for the negative control outcome. Conclusion aTIV and TIV-HD demonstrated comparable reductions in influenza-related hospitalizations/ER visits, all-cause hospitalizations and hospitalizations/ER visits for CRD. Disclosures myron J. levin, MD, GSK group of companies (Employee, Research Grant or Support) Victoria Divino, PhD, Seqirus (Consultant) Stephen I. Pelton, MD, Seqirus (Consultant) Maarten Postma, Dr., Seqirus (Consultant) Drishti Shah, PhD, Seqirus (Consultant) Joaquin F. Mould-Quevedo, PhD, Seqirus (Employee) Mitchell DeKoven, PhD, Seqirus (Consultant)

Comparing the Clinical and Economic Outcomes Associated with Adjuvanted versus High-Dose Trivalent Influenza Vaccine among Adults Aged ≥ 65 Years in the US during the 2019–20 Influenza Season—A Retrospective Cohort Analysis

The burden of influenza is disproportionally higher among older adults. We evaluated the relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) of adjuvanted trivalent (aIIV3) compared to high-dose trivalent influenza vaccine (HD-IIV3e) against influenza and cardio-respiratory disease (CRD)-related hospitalizations/ER visits among adults ≥65 years during the 2019–2020 influenza season. Economic outcomes were also compared. A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using prescription, professional fee claims, and hospital data. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to adjust for confounding. IPTW-adjusted Poisson regression was used to evaluate the adjusted rVE of aIIV3 versus HD-IIV3e. All-cause and influenza-related healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs were examined post-IPTW. Recycled predictions from generalized linear models were used to estimate adjusted costs. Adjusted analysis showed that aIIV3 (n = 798,987) was similarly effective compared to HD-IIV3e (n = 1,655,979) in preventing influenza-related hospitalizations/ER visits (rVE 3.1%; 95% CI: −2.8%; 8.6%), hospitalizations due to any cause (−0.7%; 95% CI: −1.6%; 0.3%), and any CRD-related hospitalization/ER visit (0.9%; 95% CI: 0.01%; 1.7%). Adjusted HCRU and annualized costs were also statistically insignificant between the two cohorts. The adjusted clinical and economic outcomes evaluated in this study were comparable between aIIV3 and HD-IIV3e during the 2019–2020 influenza season.

Impact of Diabetes Status on Immunogenicity of Trivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine in Older Adults

Individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus experience high rates of influenza virus infection and complications. We compared the magnitude and duration of serologic response to trivalent influenza vaccine in adults aged 50-80 with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus. Serologic response to influenza vaccination was similar in both groups: greater fold-increases in antibody titer occurred among individuals with lower pre-vaccination antibody titers. Waning of antibody titers was not influenced by diabetes status.

Immune Responses to Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Virus Infection in Pigs Vaccinated with a Conserved Hemagglutinin HA1 Peptide Adjuvanted with CAF®01 or CDA/αGalCerMPEG

This study aimed to evaluate the immune response and protection correlates against influenza virus (IV) infection in pigs vaccinated with the novel NG34 HA1 vaccine candidate adjuvanted with either CAF®01 or CDA/αGalCerMPEG (αGCM). Two groups of six pigs each were vaccinated intramuscularly twice with either NG34 + CAF®01 or NG34 + CDA/αGCM. As controls, groups of animals (n = 6 or 4) either non-vaccinated or vaccinated with human seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine or NG34 + Freund’s adjuvant were included in the study. All animal groups were challenged with the 2009 pandemic (pdm09) strain of H1N1 (total amount of 7 × 106 TCID50/mL) via intranasal and endotracheal routes 21 days after second vaccination. Reduced consolidated lung lesions were observed both on days three and seven post-challenge in the animals vaccinated with NG34 + CAF®01, whereas higher variability with relatively more severe lesions in pigs of the NG34 + CDA/αGCM group on day three post-infection. Among groups, animals vaccinated with NG34 + CDA/αGCM showed higher viral loads in the lung at seven days post infection whereas animals from NG34 + CAF®01 completely abolished virus from the lower respiratory tract. Similarly, higher IFNγ secretion and stronger IgG responses against the NG34 peptide in sera was observed in animals from the NG34 + CAF®01 group as compared to the NG34 + CDA/αGCM. NG34-vaccinated pigs with adjuvanted CAF®01 or CDA/αGCM combinations resulted in different immune responses as well as outcomes in pathology and viral shedding.

Costs per DALYs Averted of Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine versus Trivalent Influenza Vaccine in Elderly Population in Thailand

Objective: Influenza is an infection of the respiratory system with a high annual incident rate. Influenza vaccinecan reduce the severity of influenza and prevent transmission of the virus. Influenza vaccines in Thailand are theTrivalent Influenza Vaccine (TIV) and the Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (QIV). The cost and the effectiveness ofthe QIV in preventing transmission of the virus are greater than the TIV. Until now, no studies have been conductedto compare the economic impact of using QIV or TIV. This study aimed to evaluate the economic effects of usingQIV versus TIV in Thai populations age 60 years and over.Materials and Methods: The study was carried out from a societal perspective for cost per DALYs averted. A decisiontree model was used to analyse the costs and DALYs averted of Thais after they received the vaccine.Results: In a period of one year, it was found that in Thais age 60 years and over, the total cost of TIV was 2,445.19baht with 0.0094 DALYs and total cost of the QIV was 2,629.28 baht with 0.0082 DALYs and the incremental costeffectivenessratio (ICER) of the QIV was 158,489.24 baht per DALYs averted. The acceptability curves demonstratedthat the probability of QIV being cost-effective was 95% of the willingness to pay, being 1.2 times the Thai grossnational income per capita.Conclusion: Therefore, in Thai people age over 60 years and over, QIV is more cost-effective than TIV. The resultsof this study can be used by policymakers to help inform their decisions about which influenza vaccine is morecost-effective.