Inactivated and adjuvanted influenza vaccines

Inactivated influenza vaccines are produced every year to fight against the seasonal epidemics of influenza. Despite the nonoptimal coverage, even in subjects at risk like the elderly, pregnant women, etc., these vaccines significantly reduce the burden of mortality and morbidity linked to the influenza infection. Importantly, these vaccines have also contributed to reduce the impact of the last pandemics. Nevertheless, the performance of these vaccines can be improved mainly in those age groups, like children and the elderly, in which their efficacy is suboptimal. The use of adjuvants has proven effective to this scope. Oil-in-water adjuvants like MF59 and AS03 have been licensed and widely used, and shown efficacious in preventing influenza infection in the last pandemic. MF59-adjuvanted inactivated vaccine was more efficacious than non-adjuvanted vaccine in preventing influenza infection in young children and in reducing hospitalization due to the influenza infection in the elderly. Other adjuvants are now at different stages of development and some are being tested in clinical trials. The perspective remains to improve the way inactivated vaccines are prepared and to accelerate their availability, mainly in the case of influenza pandemics, and to enhance their efficacy/effectiveness for a more successful impact at the public health level.