Vaccination is the most effective way of preventing infectious diseases. Despite the success of vaccines in general, vaccines induce diminished antibody responses and lower protection in the elderly in particular. This could be explained by a defect in the early responses of an ageing immune system. A better understanding of the basic immunological mechanisms that mediate vaccine efficacy is incomplete. Such information is critical and could greatly decrease both the cost and the time to new vaccine development particularly for the geriatric population. In this trial, the investigators will study the immunologic differences of an FDA approved licensed influenza vaccine between a younger and an older group. Twenty two healthy volunteers between the age of 25-40 and forty four healthy volunteers above the age of 65 will be enrolled in the study. Each participant in the study will be given one flu shot. Blood work will be obtained prior to vaccination, one day, three days, seven days, fourteen days, as well as one month and six months after vaccination. Throughout the duration of the study, the participants will be monitored for safety.
RATIONALE:Trivalent Influenza vaccine (TIV) is known to induce diminished functional antibody responses and lower protection in the elderly. Here we hypothesize that this is due to intrinsic defects in innate responses which translates into suboptimal Hemagglutination Inhibition Assay (HAI) titers. Therefore, early innate signatures of vaccination should correlate with, and predict the immunogenicity of TIV in the young and elderly. STUDY DESIGN: Single center, open label study in which adult healthy volunteers with no contraindications to immunization will be vaccinated with TIV. Blood samples will be collected on Days D0 (at enrollment) and D1, D3, D7, D14, D30, D180 post vaccination to study innate and/or adaptive immunity markers. Even though influenza vaccination is considered safe, volunteers will be asked to report any local or systemic adverse events (AEs) from Day 0 (vaccination) to Day 7 in memory aids. Reactogenicity events will also be evaluated by injection site examination on visits at D0, D1, D3 and D7. Volunteers will be also asked to report local and systemic AEs developing the day of a blood draw. Additionally, only AEs considered related (unlikely, possibly, probably or definitely related) will be collected and reported in this study from Day 0 (vaccination) to Day 180. After Day 30 only related SAEs will be collected and reported.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
66
0.5 ml IM as a single dose in a prefilled syringe.
Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Center
Decatur, Georgia, United States
Efficacy, Measured by the Number of Subjects With a Change in Innate Immune Signatures
The number of subjects with a change in innate immunity signatures correlating with the level of antibodies was recorded. The innate immune signatures were assessed by Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS)/Luminex assays. The levels of antibodies to the influenza virus prior to TIV (trivalent influenza vaccine) administration and on Day 180 after receiving TIV was assessed and the number of subjects who exhibited an increase in the antibodies and, therefore, a change in their innate immune signatures, was recorded.
Time frame: Day 0 (prior to TIV administration), Day 180 (from the time of of TIV administration)
Number of Participants With Specific B Cell Responses That Correlate With the Innate Immune Signatures
The secondary outcomes will identify the number of participants with a positive B cell response to the flu shot particulary looking for antibody responses, presence of plasmablasts, antibody repertoire.
Time frame: 2 years
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