Vaccination activity of live influenza vaccine in different seasons of the year.

Reactogenicity, immunogenicity and viability of the vaccine virus were studied during vaccination of adults with live allantoic influenza vaccines of the types A (H1N1), A (H3N2) and B in different seasons of the year. Seasonal oscillations of reactogenicity of the vaccines (minimum in summer, maximum in winter) were demonstrated. A decrease in the re-isolation rate of vaccine viruses and in their content in the secretions of the upper respiratory passages was observed in summer. Seasonal oscillations of immunogenicity of the commercial live allantoic influenza vaccine with a marked reduction in its activity in summer were established. The administration of moderately attenuated influenza vaccine viruses in summer results in the production of antibodies up to the level observed in other seasons of the year. Theoretical problems and practical aspects of seasonal oscillations of vaccination activity of live influenza vaccines were studied in connection with the necessity of investigation new vaccine strains in varying seasons of the year.

Modulation of humoral immune response to influenza vaccines by BCG.

BCG-induced modulation of humoral immune response to influenza vaccines was studied on adult volunteers and laboratory animals. Three influenza vaccine types were used: inactivated whole-virion vaccine prepared by chromatography, chemically split adsorbed vaccine and live allantoic vaccine for intranasal vaccination. According to the indices of humoral immunity against influenza such as seroconversion, frequency and intensity of antibody formation and degree of protection to subsequent administration of the vaccine virus, the BCG vaccine had a marked immunomodulating effect in combination with the adsorbed chemically split vaccine. The effect was slight in the case of the whole-virion vaccine and was absent with the live attenuated vaccine.

[Dynamics of the antihemagglutinin level in annual human immunization with inactivated influenza vaccines]. / Dinamika urovnia antigemaggliutininov v usloviiakh ezhegodnoi immunizatsii liudei grippoznymi inaktivirovannymi vaktsinami.

Inactivated influenza vaccines are classified according to the types of antihemagglutinin response after annual revaccination of people with inactivated influenza vaccines carried out for 3 successive years. The results of analysis show that in response to annual revaccination with inactivated vaccine up to 80% of the vaccinees develop no positive changes in antihemagglutinin titres. An experiment using a liver moderately attenuated vaccine after a single immunization with an inactivated vaccine demonstrated that 64.7% vaccinees would not be involved in the epidemic process at all and 11.5% would be involved at the level of asymptomatic infection. The remaining portion (23.8%), also involved in the epidemic process after immunization with inactivated vaccine, apparently requires additional immunological protection. The results of the above study indicate the inefficacy of annual vaccination of the same subjects with the same inactivated influenza vaccine.

Subunit influenza virus vaccine Grippovac SE-AZh (vaccination of adults).

Grippovac SE-AZh a polytype, subunit influenza virus vaccine containing H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A virus strains and one influenza B virus strain has been tested in 80 volunteers. The trials demonstrated the harmlessness, the absence of adverse reactions, and except of the B type, the high antigenicity of vaccine preparation when administered in two injections. The optimal dose of each viral strain haemagglutinin (HA) was 15 micrograms in 0.5 ml.

[Comparative evaluation of the reactogenicity and antigenic activity of Soviet inactivated influenza vaccines]. / Sravnitel'naia otsenka reaktogennosti i antigennoi aktivnosti otechestvennykh grippoznykh inaktivirovannykh vaktsin.

The reactogenicity and antigenic potency of existing inactivated influenza vaccines were tested on 750 practically healthy adults. In all the preparations under test the levels of reactogenicity were found to correspond to the Technical Specifications TY--KBC, but the subunit type vaccine, "Gripovac", proved to possess the lowest reactogenicity and was, therefore, recommended for further trials in young children. Taking into account the characteristics of antigenic potency, the work gives grounds for the necessity of increasing the content of hemagglutinin in the vaccine prepared by the centrifugal method and for the practical use of the same volumetric dose (0.2 ml) for both virion vaccines (prepared by the centrifugal and chromatographic methods).

[Simultaneous vaccination against influenza A and tuberculosis]. / Odnomomentnaia vaktsinatsiia protiv grippa A i tuberkuleza.

Observations made on adults in open groups have revealed that inactivated chromatographic influenza vaccine and BCG vaccine, when introduced simultaneously, retain their reactogenic and antigenic properties. The faintly pronounced stimulating effect of BCG vaccine on the formation of influenza antibodies has been noted. A decrease in the total morbidity level has been registered among the vaccinees immunized against influenza and tuberculosis simultaneously.

Simultaneous application of influenza chemovaccine and "Vaxigrip" preparations with BCG.

Experiments in guinea pigs and rabbits have shown that simultaneous immunization against influenza and tuberculosis had no effect on the reactogenic properties of both vaccines. No inhibitory effect of the BCG vaccine on the influenza virus antibody production was observed. Production of antituberculosis antibodies was the most intensive following a simultaneous immunization of animals with BCG and inactivated influenza vaccines. Both separate and simultaneous immunization conferred to animals a similar grade of protection against virulent tuberculosis mycobacteria. Application of the combined preparation "Vaxigrip" & BCG (in mixture) caused complicated local reactions and had little immunogenic effect.

Search for optimal scheme for administering live allantoic influenza vaccine.

The effect of vaccine dilution and composition on indices of vaccination activity was studied in a live allantoic influenza vaccine administered intranasally to adults. The vaccine was shown to be usable in a 1:1 (instead of 1:5) dilution without risk of its reactogenicity rising. An inhibition of component A(H3N2) was observed in a bivalent vaccine obtained by combining directly before use two monovalent vaccines, A(H1N1) and A(H3N2). The conclusions and recommendations based on the results of the present study have practical implications in influenza control.

Perspectives of cooperation of CMEA countries in combatting influenza.

Results of cooperation of CMEA countries in combatting influenza on the basis of coordination of studies for 1977-1979 are presented. The most important result is the creation of prerequisites for setting up fundamentally new tasks in the development of long-term cooperation of CMEA countries in combatting influenza. The principles of common strategy and tactics of combatting influenza have been formulated for all these countries. The problems of standardization of the preparations, integration of their production, general methodological approaches to their use and evaluation, the complex character of applying contemporary means of combatting influenza on limited territories, and others, are discussed. The most important scientific tasks in the sphere of development and evaluation of the effectiveness of new anti-influenza preparations have been formulated.