The vaccine effective for both influenza

The vaccine against seasonal influenza can protect against the new influenza A(H1N1)?

Since the beginning of the pandemic, experts are rather doubtful about it. Although the seasonal vaccine composition which is updated annually, contains three strains of influenza viruses with an A (H1N1). But it is unlikely that it induces immunity against influenza A (H1N1) circulating totally new in 2009.

A Mexican study, published online on the website of the British Medical Journal (BMJ), has however cast doubt. Preliminary results of this work, at the beginning of the epidemic in Mexico City, on the contrary suggest that the vaccine against seasonal influenza gives partial protection against infection with A (H1N1), particularly against severe disease. Mauricio Hernandez-Avila and colleagues included 60 patients with a diagnosis of influenza A (H1N1) confirmed in laboratory.

180 volunteers having various pathologies, age and socio-economic position took part in experiment. Eight of the seventy with influenza (13%) had been vaccinated against seasonal influenza. No deaths from flu has been recorded in eight patients previously vaccinated, while the mortality was high (35%) among those who had not been vaccinated. Similarly, use of resuscitation with assisted respiration was almost four times less frequent in patients vaccinated.

Mauricio Hernandez-Avila and his team conclude that the effectiveness of the "classic" vaccine would be about 73% on the A (H1N1). "Despite this contribution to the protection, however, a vaccine against the A (H1N1) is crucial", insist the Mexican researchers.

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