A new study has revealed that H7N9 flu vaccine adjuvant, a component that boosts the body's immune response and enhances the effectiveness of inactivated influenza vaccines, is essential for effective immune response.
The study at and Treatment Evaluation Units (VTEUs) found that the antibody responses were not significantly different between participants who received the highest and the lowest dosages of vaccine along with two doses of adjuvant.
But participants who received a dose of adjuvant with their first dose of vaccine had immune responses comparable to those who received two doses of adjuvant and this finding could be important in stretching supplies of vaccine and adjuvant during a pandemic.
The researcher Mark Mulligan said that this clinical trial gave them valuable information about the use of H7N9 flu vaccine combined with adjuvant and makes us better prepared for a potential pandemic and that they must continue to test and improve vaccines for all flu strains, as these viruses have the ability to mutate and spread rapidly.
The study is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).