Evaluation of multivalent H2 influenza pandemic vaccines in mice. Issue 10 (7th March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lenny, Brian J.; Sonnberg, Stephanie; Danner, Angela F.; Friedman, Kimberly; Webby, Richard J.; Webster, Robert G.; Jones, Jeremy C.
• Is Part Of: Vaccine. Volume 35:Issue 10(2017)
• Page Start: 1455
• Page End: 1463
• Publication Date: 2017-03-07
• Subjects: Influenza -- Vaccine -- Pandemic -- H2N2 -- Monovalent -- Multivalent; Vaccines -- Periodicals; 615.372
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.01.026
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-410X

Abstract

Highlights: Subtype H2 influenza viruses are a significant public health threat. H2 vaccine development is a critical component of pre-pandemic planning. Monovalent and multivalent H2 vaccines were tested for immunogenicity in mice. Both formulations induce protection against heterologous, zoonotic H2 viruses. Multivalent vaccine exhibits greater breadth and magnitude of immune responses. Abstract: Subtype H2 Influenza A viruses were the cause of a severe pandemic in the winter of 1957. However, this subtype no longer circulates in humans and is no longer included in seasonal vaccines. As a result, individuals under 50 years of age are immunologically naïve. H2 viruses persist in aquatic birds, which were a contributing source for the 1957 pandemic, and have also been isolated from swine. Reintroduction of the H2 via zoonotic transmission has been identified as a pandemic risk, so pre-pandemic planning should include preparation and testing of vaccine candidates against this subtype. We evaluated the immunogenicity of two inactivated, whole virus influenza vaccines (IVV) in mice: a monovalent IVV containing human pandemic virus A/Singapore/1/1957 (H2N2), and a multivalent IVV containing human A/Singapore/1/1957, avian A/Duck/HongKong/319/1978 (H2N2), and swine A/Swine/Missouri/2124514/2006 (H2N3) viruses. While both vaccines induced protective immunity compared to naïve animals, the multivalent formulation was advantageous over the monovalent in terms of level and breadth of serological responses, neutralization of infectious virus, and reduction of clinical disease and respiratory tissue replication in mice. Therefore, multivalent pandemic H2 vaccines containing diverse viruses from animal reservoirs, are a potential option to improve the immune responses in a pre-pandemic scenario where antigenic identity cannot be predicted.