Antibody Levels Comparable in Cell-, Egg-Based Flu Vax in Kids

A “first step” to a real vaccine efficacy study comparing flu vaccine types

There was no difference in antibody response, including hemagglutination inhibition assay (HAI) and microneutralization titers, between egg-based and cell-cultured influenza vaccine in children, a researcher said here.

A randomized trial found no significant differences in response to a variety of strains, including influenza A H1N1 and H3N3 and influenza B viruses for a small group of children who were randomized to receive either egg-based or cell-based flu vaccine in fall 2018-2019, reported Richard Zimmerman, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, at a late-breaking presentation at the IDWeek meeting, with joint sponsorship by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), and the HIV Medicine Association. More details here.