Cell-Based Quadrivalent Flu Shots Found Safe for Children

The peer-review journal Pediatrics published on October 10, 2022, the first safety and immunogenicity study to evaluate cell-based influenza vaccine in children starting at six months of age.

The results indicate that cell-based quadrivalent seasonal influenza vaccine (QIVc) is well-tolerated and immunogenic, producing antibody responses that were non-inferior to those elicited with egg-based flu shots (QIV) in children 6 through 47 months of age.

Immunogenicity was evaluated in 1,092 QIVc and 575 QIV subjects.

• Geometric mean titer ratios (upper bound 95% CI) were A/H1N1, 0.73 (0.84); A/H3N2, 1.04 (1.16); B/Yamagata, 0.73 (0.81); and B/Victoria, 0.88 (0.97).
• Seroconversion differences (upper bound 95% CI) were −11.46% (−6.42), 3.13% (7.81), −14.87% (−9.98), and −5.96% (−1.44) for A/H1N1, A/H3N2, B/Yamagata, and B/Victoria, respectively.
• Rates of adverse events were similar between the two groups, with no serious adverse events related to vaccination.

These findings are essential since cell-based influenza vaccines are designed to produce an exact match to World Health Organization-selected influenza virus strains by avoiding egg-adapted changes and therefore have the potential for greater vaccine effectiveness.

Furthermore, the U.S. CDC says young children who are otherwise healthy are at a higher risk of influenza-related complications due to their lack of prior immunity.

The CDC suggests that most people over six months should get an annual influenza shot early in the flu season, preferably by October 2022.

Various flu shots are offered at most clinics and local pharmacists in the U.S.

Additional flu vaccine news is posted at PrecisionVaccinations.com/Flu.