[Vaccine prophylaxis in elderly patients]. / O taktike vaktsinoprofilaktiki u pozhilykh liudei.

In 1997-1999 observation was made on elderly people living in old people's homes and in families, as well as groups of young males living in hostel-type homes, altogether 4,518 subjects. Standard inactivated whole-virion influenza vaccine was introduced in a dose of 0.5 ml subcutaneously in a single injection or intranasally in two administrations. In control groups placebo was used. The frequency of seroconversions to vaccine strains of influenza viruses was significantly less in elderly people than in young people following both subcutaneous and intranasal immunization (on the average, by 15-20%). In young people the prophylactic effectiveness of the vaccine introduced intranasally was the same as after subcutaneous immunization with the effectiveness index (EI) being equal to 2.1-2.8. In elderly people the effectiveness of the vaccine after subcutaneous immunization was the same as in young people (EI = 1.7-2.7), but insufficient after intranasal immunization (EI < or = 1.6). The preparation "Amber elixir plus" enhanced the effectiveness of immunization against influenza in elderly people.

[Epidemiological effectiveness of an inactivated three-component flu vaccine with an increased concentration of hemagglutinin in the inoculation dose]. / Epidemiologicheskia éffektivnost' inaktivirovannoi trekhkomponentnoigrippoznoi vaktsiny s povyshennoi kontsentratsiei gemaggliutinina v privivochnoi doze.

The work presents the results of the evaluation of mass immunization of working adults with inactivated trivalent influenza vaccine under the conditions of an epidemic caused by influenza viruses A (H1N1), A (H3N2) and B. This immunization produced no effect on influenza morbidity in the groups of vaccinees in comparison with those of nonvaccinated persons. The index of effectiveness was 1.0 and less. The ineffectiveness of mass immunization was due to a high level of natural immunity to influenza and the extensive use of influenza vaccine in past years.

[The evaluation of the reactogenicity and immunological activity of an inactivated 3-component influenza vaccine with an elevated hemagglutinin concentration in the inoculation dosage]. / Otsenka reaktogennosti i immunologicheskoi aktivnosti inaktivirovannoi trekhkomponentnoi grippoznoi vaktsiny s povyshennoi kontsentratsiei gemaggliutinina v privivochnoi doze.

In this work the reactogenic properties and antigenic potency of inactivated trivalent influenza vaccine, obtained by elution and centrifugation and containing up to 9-11 micrograms of hemagglutinin for influenza viruses A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) and up to 14 micrograms for influenza virus B, were studied. The reactogenicity of the preparation was found to correspond to the regulations. The immunogenic potency characteristics of individual batches of this trivaccine were higher than the immunogenicity of divaccines, but did not meet the requirements of technical specifications.

[Evaluation of the potential use of inactivated influenza centrifuged vaccines with various hemagglutinin levels for immunizing schoolchildren]. / Otsenka vozmozhnosti primeneniia inaktivirovannoi grippoznoi tsentrifuzhnoi vaktsiny s razlichnym soderzhaniem gemaggliutinina dlia immunizatsii detei shkol'nogo vozrasta.

The safety, reactogenic properties and immunogenic potency of inactivated influenza centrifuged vaccines with different hemagglutinin content were studied in observations on children aged 11-15 and 7-10 years. According to the results of clinico-laboratory investigations, commercial influenza vaccine and its variant with hemagglutinin content reduced by half were found to be safe and showed faintly pronounced reactogenic properties in children. After vaccination hyperemia developed at the site of injection, moderate in 5% of the vaccinees aged 7-10 years and mild in other vaccinees of both age groups. The immunogenic potency of the preparations was determined by the specific features of influenza virus strains: strain A (H1N1) induced seroconversion in 62-94% and strain A (H3N2), in 67-96% of children.

[Antibody formation in the blood and respiratory tract secretions following one-time and repeat immunization with an inactivated influenza vaccine]. / Antikörperbildung im Serum und im Sekret des Atemtraktes nach einmaliger und mehrmaliger Immunisierung mit einem inaktivierten Influenzaimpfstoff.

Eighty nine volunteers were under study. They were immunized by inactivated vaccine from influenza viruses A(H1N1)+A(H3N2) one time or every year during 4 to 6 years. Vaccine in dosage of 0.2 ml was applied intracutaneously. Under detailed clinical study deflections of health were not over standard. Accumulation of antibodies was determined to immunogens of the vaccine and to virus A/Leningrad/X/83(H3N2), which was in epidemic circulation 3 years later. Intensity of relative increase of antibodies with repeated immunization was 1.5 to 2 times lower. Maximum concentrations of antibodies were found in a week after vaccination. Immunization didn't cause change of titres of secretory antibodies and concentration of immunoglobulin isotopes G, M, A and E in sera and secretions.

[Assessment of the effectiveness of inactivated influenza vaccines for adults]. / Otsenka éffektivnosti inaktivirovannykh grippoznykh vaktsin dlia vzroslykh.

In 9 controlled epidemiological observations (1977-1984) the effectiveness of modern Soviet whole-virion vaccines was studied in organized groups of adults and at industrial enterprises. During the epidemic outbreaks of influenza of different etiology and intensity morbidity rate in influenza and acute respiratory diseases was shown to decrease 1.1-2.2 times among the vaccinees, depending on the correspondence of epidemic and vaccine influenza strains. The absence of influenza virus B in inactivated influenza vaccines was the reason for their low effectiveness during influenza outbreaks of mixed etiology B + A (H1N1).

The system of population protection against influenza.

The complex protection of population against influenza includes: 1. annual mass vaccinoprophylaxis among unvaccinated people; 2. urgent influenza prophylaxis among unvaccinated people; 3. early treatment of influenza. Realization of this system in 1980-1984 in some cities of the USSR resulted in reduction of epidemic influenza morbidity by 20-65%, decrease of annual average influenza and acute respiratory morbidity by 15-20% of the level awaited, i.e. by 200,000 to 300,000 cases per million of citizens. However incomplete accordance of influenza vaccines composition with epidemiological situation, insufficiently wide usage of vaccines and other preparations has not allowed to prevent influenza epidemics in other cities.

[Immunogenic activity of the viral hemagglutinin and neuraminidase from live and inactivated influenza vaccines]. / Izuchenie immunogennoi aktivnosti virusnogo gemaggliutinina i neiraminidazy zhivykh i inaktivirovannykh grippoznykh vaktsin.

Paired sera from 600 persons immunized with live or inactivated influenza vaccines have been studied in the hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) and influenza virus elution inhibition (EI) tests. The possibility of using, in principle, the EI test for the evaluation of the immunogenicity of the vaccine has been shown. The time course of antibody formation has been found to correlate with both hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of influenza virus. To evaluate the immunogenicity of influenza vaccines with greater precision, taking into account not only seroconversions routinely revealed in the HAI test, but also seroconversions registered only in the EI test is recommended.

[Organization and evaluation of the effectiveness of emergency prophylaxis and early treatment of influenza with remantadine in Serevodvinsk]. / Organizatsiia i otsenka éffektivnosti ékstrennoi profilaktiki i rannego lecheniia grippa remantadinom v Severodvinske.

The complex system of influenza control was introduced into practice at the public health institutions of Severodvinsk in 1976-1980. The effectiveness of the urgent prophylaxis and early treatment of influenza with remantadin, one of the most important elements of this system, was evaluated. The use of remantadin for the early and preventive treatment (urgent prophylaxis) of influenza among the population of the city decreased influenza morbidity 1.7-1.85 times, reduced the duration of the main clinical symptoms of the disease and sick leaves, the frequency of post-influenza complications, as well as the number of visitations of the sick by physicians.

[Emergency prevention of influenza with remantadin]. / Ekstrennaia profilaktika grippa remantadinom.

Prophylactic efficacy of remantadin was studied during influenza epidemics caused by types A (H3N2) and B viruses. More than 15,000 persons were observed. Daily administration of remantadin ensured a decrease in influenza A (but not influenza B) morbidity 1.5-4.5 times in different groups (planned prophylaxis) and 6.5-10.3 times in family foci (focal prophylaxis). The protective effect of remantadin is mainly due to its capacity of suppressing the toxic manifestations of influenza infection, which is accompanied by a decrease in the frequency and duration of clinically pronounced disease and an increase in the proportion of asymptomatic forms.

Perspectives of cooperation of CMEA countries in combatting influenza.

Results of cooperation of CMEA countries in combatting influenza on the basis of coordination of studies for 1977-1979 are presented. The most important result is the creation of prerequisites for setting up fundamentally new tasks in the development of long-term cooperation of CMEA countries in combatting influenza. The principles of common strategy and tactics of combatting influenza have been formulated for all these countries. The problems of standardization of the preparations, integration of their production, general methodological approaches to their use and evaluation, the complex character of applying contemporary means of combatting influenza on limited territories, and others, are discussed. The most important scientific tasks in the sphere of development and evaluation of the effectiveness of new anti-influenza preparations have been formulated.

Experimental and epidemiological estimation of seasonal and climato-geographical features of non-specific resistance of the organism to influenza.

One and the same series of live influenza vaccine from the strains B/Dushanbe/66 and B/Leningrad/67 or A2/Moscow/21/65 administered intranasally to non-immune persons in Leningrad and 'krasnodar in winter caused an increase in body temperature in 6.7-8% of vaccinated subjects, but in summer in 0.8%. In the transitional seasons of the year (in May and in October), 6.3-16.8% of reactions were observed in Murmansk and 0.1% in Krasnodar. An increase in antibodies in the vaccinated in Leningrad and Arkhangelsk in winter was observed 1.5 times more frequently than in summer. In Krasnodar, seroconversion occurred in only 5.7% in May and october, but in 31.3% in January; in Murmansk in 41.2-48% in May and in 75.6-78.8% in October. The seasonal as well as latitudinal and climatic differences in reactogenicity and antigenic activity of the vaccine can be explained by seasonal oscillations in non-specific resistance of people of influenza viruses. The importance of this factor in the mechanism of seasonal occurrence of influenza is discussed.

Associated seroconversions to respiratory viruses in volunteers with experimental influenza infection.

Serological examinations of 573 volunteers with mild experimental influenza infection and 86 volunteers of a control group hospitalized in a special clinic revealed a significant rise in the titre of antibodies (seroconversion) not only to influenza A or B viruses used for the experimental infection but in 23.3 to 29.8% of cases also to other respiratory viruses. Based on a number of arguments, associated seroconversions are interpreted as due to mixed or sequential infections of different aetiology.