WRL 105 STRAIN (H3N2) LIVE ATTENUATED INFLUENZA VACCINE: ACCEPTABILITY, REACTIVITY, AND ANTIBODY RESPONSE IN NORMAL, BRONCHITIC, AND GERIATRIC VOLUNTEERS

Abstract The acceptability, reactivity, and antibody responses of recombinant WRL 105 strain, live, attenuated influenza virus vaccine administered intranasally were studied in seventeen normal adults, and in seventeen bronchitic and twenty-one geriatric volunteers. The effect on peak flow and 1second forced expiratory volume (F.E.V. 1 ) on the 3rd, 5th, and 7th days after vaccination was measured in the bronchitic and normal groups. Seroconversion occurred in 80% to the homologous virus, in 40·6% to A/Victoria/3/75, and in 26·5% to A/England/864/75 in subjects with pre-vaccination haemagglutination inhibition titres of less than 1/40. A fourfold or greater increase in homologous anti-neuraminidase antibody was found in 48% of twenty-seven infected subjects when measured by a new elution inhibition technique. The frequency and nature of symptoms were similar in both infected and non-infected groups. No significant changes in F.E.V. 1 occurred, but on days 5 and 7 there was a decrease in peak flow measurements in both infected and non-infected groups when assessed as the percentage change of the pre-vaccination value.