The high-dose vaccine against flu should be prescribed to the chronically ill, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Vaccine.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh in the United States are calling for clinical studies to understand whether high-dose recombinant trivalent influenza vaccines in adults aged 50 to 64 with chronic diseases, such as heart disease or pulmonary, the diabetes where the Cancerprovide better protection than the recommended standard quadrivalent vaccine.
Because influenza strains can change from season to season, annual vaccine effectiveness can vary significantly. Also, the effectiveness of standard dose and high dose vaccines among middle-aged patients with different levels of chronic disease is unknown.
Additional costs but better efficiency
The vaccine against flu The high-dose vaccine is recommended for adults over 65 years of age because their immune response to the standard-dose vaccine declines with age. However, it is more expensive than the standard quadrivalent vaccine. To test the value of conducting large clinical trials of the vaccine in people aged 50 to 64 with chronic conditions, the researchers used an analytical model to explore the cost-effectiveness of this vaccination choice.
Previous clinical trials have shown a 24% additional efficacy of the high-dose vaccine over the standard-dose vaccine in older adults, but this benefit is not yet established in young adults with high-risk health conditions. . The scientists identified that the high-dose vaccine would need to provide at least 18% more protection than the standard-dose vaccine to recoup its cost. Similarly, a newer but more expensive recombinant vaccine showed 41% additional protection. A figure that suggests further research into vaccine options for high-risk and middle-aged adults may be warranted.
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