fbpx How many B antigens should a good influenza vaccine have? | Science in the net

How many B antigens should a good influenza vaccine have?

di redazione
Pubblicato il 27/12/2013Read time: 2 mins
Global Health
Vaccine

The vaccine against seasonal influenza is called trivalent, because it contains viruses representing three influenza strains: one A/H1N1, one A/H3N2, and one B. the single B-lineage antigen included is the one that is predicted to circulate in the related season. However, this means that some mismatch between the B antigen in the vaccine and the B antigen actually circulating may occur, this being a problem since cross-protection by immunization against the other lineage is expected to be low.

In order to minimize such mismatch, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested using quadrivalent vaccines that include both influenza B virus antigenic lineages, called Victoria and Yamagata. A study published on Vaccine estimated the benefit that a quadrivalent vaccine could bring compared to a trivalent one, concluding that the additional protection provided by including a second lineage of influenza B could result in a modest reduction in influenza-associated outcomes.

Another study, published on the New England Journal of Medicine, evaluated the efficacy of a candidate inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine in children 3 to 8 years of age. Their results provided evidence that the quadrivalent vaccine tested prevents influenza associated with the A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B Victoria strains individually. The low number of B Yamagata confirmed infections did not allow to properly estimate the efficacy of the vaccine against this strain but the immune response was high enough to suggest a similar efficacy against other strains.


Scienza in rete è un giornale senza pubblicità e aperto a tutti per garantire l’indipendenza dell’informazione e il diritto universale alla cittadinanza scientifica. Contribuisci a dar voce alla ricerca sostenendo Scienza in rete. In questo modo, potrai entrare a far parte della nostra comunità e condividere il nostro percorso. Clicca sul pulsante e scegli liberamente quanto donare! Anche una piccola somma è importante. Se vuoi fare una donazione ricorrente, ci consenti di programmare meglio il nostro lavoro e resti comunque libero di interromperla quando credi.


  • 9345 reads

prossimo articolo

Europe votes on the new air quality directive

di Luca Carra
Pubblicato il 15/09/2023

The European Parliament's vote (and subsequently the Council of Europe's) on the new European Directive on air quality is expected for September 13. This directive updates the allowed atmospheric pollutant limits, bringing them closer to those established by the WHO in 2021. Resistance to the new objectives, mainly coming from the industrial world and established economic interests in certain regions, makes the outcome of the vote uncertain. However, there are no serious scientific or political reasons to oppose or attempt to dilute the more ambitious limits proposed by the new directive.

Image credits: JC Gellidon/Unsplash

Global Health

The new European Directive on air quality, currently under discussion in the European Parliament, updates the concentration limits of major air pollutants, bringing them closer to those set by the new guidelines of the World Health Organization (2021). The outcome of the vote, scheduled for September 13, is uncertain.