Experience with monovalent and bivalent influenza vaccines in Canada 1976. Clinical evaluation of vaccines from four...

Clinical trials in adults of monovalent (200 CCA Units per dose) and bivalent (400 CCA Units per dose) inactivated influenza whole virus A/Swine and A/Victoria vaccines from different sources resulted in variations in clinical reactivity which may not be significant because of lack of controls and observer bias. In adults with no pre-vaccine antibody (HI less than 1/10) the A/Swine Monovalent vaccine from one source evoked significantly lower response than did the A/Swine component of the Bivalent vaccine from another source. Serologic response to A/Victoria antigen was comparable for vaccines prepared with material from two sources. In medically high risk children two doses of Bivalent A/Swine A/Victoria influenza vaccine, with the dosage adjusted according to age, stimulated acceptable serologic response without an unacceptable frequency of local and general reactions. The response was higher in the youngest and older age groups included in the clinical trial than in the seven to twelve year old group implying a dose to age relationship.