[Evaluation of the anti-influenza vaccine in students from basic high school]

The anti-influenza vaccine was applied to a group of 217 students of "Batalla del Jigüe" Secondary School which was compared to a group inoculated with the vaccine placebo with the view to evaluate the results of vaccine protection against the flue, as well as to determine its secondary effects in an adolescent population. There was a significant difference in the immunologic response in favor of the vaccine group as compared to controls for both strains of the antigenic contents of the vaccine Influenza A/Philippines/2/82 (H3N2)--A/Kiev/59/79 (H1H1). The local side effects found in the highest ratios in the group receiving the anti-influenza vaccine were papules (51.0%) and erythema (44.0%) with statistically significant differences in relation to the group receiving placebo. Fever was the general reaction most frequently found, for 8.4% 48 hours after its application among immunized students. During the subsequent epidemiologic surveillance a greater incidence of influenzal patients was found in students not receiving the anti-influenza vaccine. These results may serve as a starting point for new investigations in our environment.