Understanding the Efficacy of Different Influenza Vaccines: A Comprehensive Guide

[Health Channel/Comprehensive Report]The number of respiratory infections has increased recently. In addition to the new coronavirus, colds, flu, and enteroviruses have also come out to cause trouble. However, due to the variety of influenza vaccines, it is easy to confuse the public. Hong Weijie, director of the medical department, posted on his Facebook page “Dr. Hong Weijie’s love talk space“Sorted out the differences in the efficacy of the three major influenza vaccines, including quadrivalent or trivalent influenza vaccines, cell culture influenza vaccines, and adjuvanted influenza vaccines, so that the public can more easily understand the efficacy of vaccines and administer them correctly.

The flu vaccine stimulates the body to produce antibodies

Hong Weijie said that there are many different types of influenza virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts the influenza virus that will be popular in the next year every year. According to the virus strain predicted by WHO, it will be made into a vaccine, such as quadrivalent or trivalent Influenza vaccines, by making virus antigens, can stimulate the body to produce antibodies after administration, which can be used to fight against subsequent invading influenza viruses.

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The concept of getting a flu shot is a bit like that before an exam, the teacher reminds you the key points before the exam, letting everyone know the main content of the next exam. If you study for the key points before the exam, you will be more able to answer the questions when they appear For example, if you have been vaccinated beforehand, when the same virus appears, your body will respond faster to fight the virus.

But why do you get the flu even though you have the flu shot? Hong Weijie explained that, for example, the teacher reminded not all the key points before the exam, but only a few questions. Of course, he would be less able to write the questions that the teacher did not remind. Similarly, there are many kinds of flu vaccine viruses, and the vaccine contains four or more Those other than the three are more likely to be infected. Another situation is that sometimes the teacher’s key points before the exam are different from the actual exam questions. Similarly, sometimes if the WHO predicts the flu virus is wrong, the effect will be compromised.

Cell-cultured influenza vaccine reduces antigenic mutation

Hong Weijie said that the influenza vaccine in everyone’s impression is cultivated through eggs, but during the cultivation process, mutations may occur, and the antibodies produced after the mutated antigens are administered are less effective against the originally correctly predicted influenza virus. It will become bad, just like the key reminder of the teacher before the exam is to quickly tell the teaching assistant, and then the teaching assistant will tell the students, but the original key points of the teacher may be distorted after being passed around, and it will be different from the original one. Not the same, of course the results of the test will be affected.

Hong Weijie explained that the cell culture influenza vaccine is cultivated through mammalian MDCK cells, and this culture method can reduce the mutation of the antigen, and the correct antibody will be produced after the correct antigen is administered, just like the teacher’s important reminder before the exam is to directly Printed for everyone, in this way, the gap in the transfer can be avoided, and the test scores will be better. Research has found that the effect of cell-cultured influenza vaccines compared with traditional egg-cultured vaccines is as follows:

●In adults:Vaccine protection increased by 6.5-19.3%.

●Children and adolescents aged 4 to 17:Vaccine protection increased by 8.1%.

●High-risk groups:Such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc., the vaccine protection is improved.

Adjuvanted flu vaccines boost immunity

Hong Weijie pointed out that in older or younger children, the body’s ability to generate immunity will be weaker than that of ordinary adults, and after the flu vaccine, the amount of antibodies produced will be relatively small. After receiving the flu vaccine, the median effect of vaccine protection is 54-84%, but the effect is only 16-64% for those over 65 years old, and 24-46% for those under the age of 16.

Adding an adjuvant to the influenza vaccine can increase the immune-stimulating effect of the vaccine. For example, MF59 is an oil-in-water emulsion. By adding such an adjuvant, the body’s immune cells can be more strongly driven to The production of antibodies can also increase the number of antibodies, last longer, and increase the protection of vaccines. This is like a teacher’s key reminders before the exam. In addition to the reminders, an additional teaching assistant is invited to help give individual guidance on the key points of the exam. At this time, the test scores will of course be significantly improved.

Hong Weijie said that according to the results of clinical studies, the effects of adjuvanted influenza vaccines compared with non-adjuvanted influenza vaccines in the elderly over 65 years old are as follows:

●After the influenza vaccine with adjuvant is administered, the antibody level is 1.23 times that of the influenza vaccine without adjuvant.

●Compared with before vaccination, the number of antibodies increased by more than 4 times, and the number of influenza vaccines with adjuvant was 12.7% higher than that of the non-adjuvant influenza vaccine.

●One year after vaccination, comparing the two vaccines, the antibody level of the adjuvanted influenza vaccine was significantly higher than that of the non-adjuvanted one.

●Vaccine protection:Adjuvanted influenza vaccines were 7-63% more protective than unadjuvanted.

●Proportion of severe respiratory infection:The adjuvanted influenza vaccine can reduce influenza infection by 59.2% more than the unadjuvanted influenza vaccine.

●Proportion of hospitalization (hospitalization for any reason):Adjuvanted flu vaccine reduces hospitalizations by 12% compared to unadjuvanted flu vaccine