Safety and immunogenicity of live attenuated and inactivated influenza vaccines in children with cancer

Abstract

(See the editorial commentary by Halasa, on pages 1471-4.)Background.The safety and immunogenicity of live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) has not been compared to that of the standard trivalent inactivated vaccine (TIV) in children with cancer.Methods.Randomized study of LAIV versus TIV in children with cancer, age 2-21 years, vaccinated according to recommendations based on age and prior vaccination. Data on reactogenicity and other adverse events and blood and nasal swab samples were obtained following vaccination.Results.Fifty- five eligible subjects (mean age, 10.4 years) received vaccine (28 LAIV/27 TIV). Both vaccines were well tolerated. Rhinorrhea reported within 10 days of vaccination was similar in both groups (36% LAIV vs 33% TIV, P >. 999). Ten LAIV recipients shed virus; the latest viral shedding was detected 7 days after vaccination. Immunogenicity data were available for 52 subjects, or 26 in each group. TIV induced significantly higher postvaccination geometric mean titers against influenza A viruses (P