Response to influenza vaccine in adjuvant 65-4.
A comparison was made of the antibody response and subjective reactions to zonally-purified influenza vaccine in aqueous suspension and in peanut oil adjuvant 65-4. Both preparations contained 700 CCA units of A/Aichi/2/68, and 300 CCA units of B/Mass/1/71. Subjective reactions were recorded by asking the volunteers to complete a record daily for 5 days. Pain at the injection site was recorded by 64 per cent of the recipients of the oil adjuvant vaccine compared with 35 per cent of the aqueous recipients, but local redness was more frequent after aqueous vaccine. Systemic symptoms was recorded a little more frequently after aqueous than oil adjuvant vaccine. When measured 71/2 weeks after a single dose of vaccine, the HAI geometric mean antibody titre (G.M.T) to the A/Hong Kong/1/68 antigen (antigenically similar to the A/Aichi/2/68 antigen in the vaccine) increased 2-7 fold after aqueous and 16-4 fold after adjuvant vaccine. Sixty-two weeks after vaccination the antibody titres remained higher in those given adjuvant vaccine. The G.M.T. to B/Mass/1/71 increased 1-9 fold 71/2 weeks after aqueous vaccine and 3-7 fold after adjuvant vaccine. The antibody response to both influenza A and B antigens was broader in the recipients of adjuvant vaccine. The G.M.T. to A/England/42/72 increased 2-8-fold after aqueous and 13-fold after adjuvant vaccine; and to B/England/847/73 it increased 1-3-fold after aqueous and 1-9-fold after adjuvant vaccine.