80 subjects (healthy adults) will be randomized to receive the seasonal flu vaccine either by needle \& syringe or by the MIT needle-free injector (Med-Jet MIT H4™ \& Disposable Cartridge). The study will be conducted after the normal flu season has passed (ie: March-April). Half of those randomized to standard vaccination (n=20) will receive vaccine drawn from a multi-dose vial while the other half (n=20) will receive vaccine drawn from a single use vial. The same vaccine as the multi-dose vial will be delivered to the other half of the subjects (n=40) using the MIT injector. How long it takes to prepare and deliver the vaccines will be assessed (a time-motion study). Subject acceptance before and after injection will be assessed as well as local and systemic side effects. Standard serologic measures of immune response to flu vaccination (ie: antibodies) will determine whether the Med-Jet H4 injector induces the same kind of immune response as needle \& syringe delivery.
Eighty healthy adults (18-49 years of age) will be randomized 1:1 to receive: * A single dose of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV: Fluviral™: 0.5mL IM) * Half will receive the vaccine using a pre-filled syringe * Half will receive the vaccine using a multi-dose vial * Or,the same vaccine delivered IM using the Medical International Technologies Inc. (MIT) compressed air vaccine delivery system (Med-Jet MIT H4 \& Disposable Cartridge). Primary study outcomes will be i) safety (local and systemic reactions) followed for 21 days and ii) immunogenicity at 21 days using the standard serologic assays (eg: hemaggultination inhibition (HI) and microneutralization (MN)). Secondary outcomes will be time-motion analyses of vaccine preparation and administration to assess possible time-saving associated with Med-Jet H4 delivery. Although full blinding of the study is not possible give the very different vaccine delivery methods, all safety assessments and immunological parameters will be collected by nurses/technicians blinded to group assignment (ie: observer blind).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
80
Influenza vaccine (Fluviral) given via Med-Jet H4 or IM injection
McGill University Health Centre Vaccine Study Centre
Pierrefonds, Quebec, Canada
Local and systemic effects will be measured after vaccination
Solicited and unsolicited local and systemic adverse events will be collected between day 0-3 by phone and day 4-21 by diary after influenza vaccine (TIV) delivered by jet-injector or by standard needle.
Time frame: 0 - 21 days
Time to administer vaccine by jet-injector or standard needle will be measured
Each component of the vaccination process using either the jet-injector or a standard needle will be measured (time-motion study) to determine which method is faster
Time frame: Day 0 (day of immunization)
Immunogenicity of influenza vaccine given by needle or jet injector
Standard serologic assays will be performed on serum obtained on day 0 (day of injection) and day 21 to measure hemagglutination inhibition and microneutralization titres in subjects who received the vaccine by either standard needle or jet injector.
Time frame: Day 0 (day of immunization) and day 21
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