Efficacy, Immunogenicity, and Safety of Modified mRNA Influenza Vaccine

Influenza remains a major health burden despite the use of licensed vaccines. Nucleoside-modified messenger RNA (modRNA) influenza vaccines have shown promising immunogenicity against influenza and an acceptable safety profile in a phase 1-2 trial.

In this phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 64 years to receive either a quadrivalent modRNA influenza vaccine (modRNA group) or a licensed inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine (control group) during the 2022-2023 influenza season in the United States, South Africa, and the Philippines. The primary end point was relative efficacy, defined by the reduction in the percentage of participants with laboratory-confirmed influenza associated with influenza-like illness at least 14 days after vaccination with the modRNA vaccine, as compared with the control vaccine, and analyzed for noninferiority and superiority. Immunogenicity was evaluated by means of a hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay. We assessed reactogenicity within 7 days after vaccination, adverse events through 1 month, and serious adverse events through 6 months. We assessed vaccine efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety in the modRNA group.

A total of 18,476 participants underwent randomization: 9225 were assigned to receive the modRNA vaccine and 9251 to receive the control vaccine. The relative efficacy of the modRNA vaccine as compared with the control vaccine against influenza-like illness was 34.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.4 to 53.9) on the basis of 57 cases in the modRNA group and 87 cases in the control group, a finding that met the criteria for both noninferiority and superiority. Cases of influenza-like illness were caused by A/H3N2 and A/H1N1 strains but almost no B strains. The noninferiority of the antibody response on HAI assay was shown for influenza A strains but not for B strains. Primarily mild or moderate reactogenicity was observed in both vaccine groups but was reported more frequently in the modRNA group (overall local reactions, 70.1% vs. 43.1%; overall systemic events, 65.8% vs. 48.7%). Fever occurred in 5.6% of the participants in the modRNA group and in 1.7% of those in the control group. Adverse event profiles were similar in the two groups.

The modRNA vaccine had statistically superior efficacy over the control vaccine, with greater immune responses to A/H3N2 and A/H1N1 strains, but was associated with more reactogenicity events. (Funded by Pfizer; C4781004 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05540522.)See also in NEJM Evidence: Human clinical trial of a nucleoside-modified mRNA influenza vaccine.