THE ANTIBODY RESPONSE OF HUMAN SUBJECTS VACCINATED WITH THE VIRUS OF HUMAN INFLUENZA

Human influenza virus cultivated in tissue culture medium may be administered subcutaneously or intradermally to human individuals without causing evidence of infection. Subjects so treated develop a good titer of circulating antibodies effective against mouse passage virus and, if antibodies were previously present, vaccination stimulates the production of more antibody. The antibodies so induced persist for at least 5 months, although in this period of time some decline in titer may have begun. The antibody response to vaccination parallels both in extent and persistence that occurring as a result of the naturally acquired disease. The available data do not enable one to evaluate the effect of vaccination in preventing human infection with influenza. It seems not unlikely that the increase in circulating antibody will be accompanied by an increased ability to combat the natural infection.