Antibody response and reactions to aqueous influenza vaccine, simple emulsion vaccine and multiple emulsion vaccine. A report to the Medical Research Council Committee on influenza and other respiratory virus vaccines

Abstract

Influenza vaccines prepared with a mineral oil adjuvant induce a substantial and durable antibody response. However, vaccines containing mineral oil in simple emulsion (water-in-oil emulsion) sometimes produce persistent local reactions (Medical Research Council, 1964). The development of a redispersed ‘multiple’ emulsion in which antigen is incorporated as an oil-in-water emulsion starting from an original water-in-oil emulsion was described by Herbert (1965). Such multiple emulsion vaccine has a lesser viscosity than simple emulsions and might therefore produce a substantial antibody response with fewer reactions. In this investigation a comparison has been made of the antibody response and short-term vaccination reactions after aqueous influenza vaccine, influenza vaccine containing a mineral oil in simple emulsion, and influenza vaccine containing mineral oil in multiple emulsion.