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Meta-Analysis
. 2013 Sep;7 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):72-75.
doi: 10.1111/irv.12084.

Influenza vaccination for immunocompromised patients: summary of a systematic review and meta-analysis

Charles R Beck  1 , Bruce C McKenzie  1 , Ahmed B Hashim  1 , Rebecca C Harris  2 , Arina Zanuzdana  3 , Gabriel Agboado  4 , Elizabeth Orton  5 , Laura Béchard-Evans  6 , Gemma Morgan  7 , Charlotte Stevenson  8 , Rachel Weston  9 , Mitsuru Mukaigawara  2 , Joanne Enstone  1 , Glenda Augustine  10 , Mobasher Butt  11 , Sophie Kim  12 , Richard Puleston  1 , Girija Dabke  13 , Robert Howard  14 , Julie O'Boyle  14 , Mary O'Brien  15 , Lauren Ahyow  10 , Helene Denness  16 , Siobhan Farmer  17 , Jose Figureroa  18 , Paul Fisher  19 , Felix Greaves  20 , Munib Haroon  21 , Sophie Haroon  22 , Caroline Hird  22 , Rachel Isba  23 , David A Ishola  24 , Marko Kerac  25 , Vivienne Parish  26 , Jonathan Roberts  7 , Julia Rosser  27 , Sarah Theaker  28 , Dean Wallace  28 , Neil Wigglesworth  29 , Liz Lingard  30 , Yana Vinogradova  5 , Hiroshi Horiuchi  31 , Javier Peñalver  6 , Jonathan S Nguyen-Van-Tam  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Influenza vaccination for immunocompromised patients: summary of a systematic review and meta-analysis

Charles R Beck et al. Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2013 Sep.

Abstract

Vaccination of immunocompromised patients is recommended in many national guidelines to protect against severe or complicated influenza infection. However, due to uncertainties over the evidence base, implementation is frequently patchy and dependent on individual clinical discretion. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the evidence for influenza vaccination in this patient group. Healthcare databases and grey literature were searched and screened for eligibility. Data extraction and assessments of risk of bias were undertaken in duplicate, and results were synthesised narratively and using meta-analysis where possible. Our data show that whilst the serological response following vaccination of immunocompromised patients is less vigorous than in healthy controls, clinical protection is still meaningful, with only mild variation in adverse events between aetiological groups. Although we encountered significant clinical and statistical heterogeneity in many of our meta-analyses, we advocate that immunocompromised patients should be targeted for influenza vaccination.

Keywords: Immunocompromised; influenza; meta-analysis; systematic review; vaccination.

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Conflict of interest statement

The University of Nottingham Health Protection Research Group is currently in receipt of research funds from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The group has recently accepted an unrestricted educational grant for influenza research from F. Hoffmann‐La Roche. Research on influenza funded by an unrestricted educational grant from AstraZeneca is also underway. The aforementioned funding received from GSK, F. Hoffmann‐La Roche and Astra Zeneca did not support any aspect of this study. JSN‐V‐T has received funding to attend influenza‐related meetings, lecture and consultancy fees and research funding from several influenza antiviral drug and vaccine manufacturers. All forms of personal remuneration ceased in September 2010, but influenza‐related research funding from GlaxoSmithKline, F. Hoffmann‐La Roche and Astra Zeneca remains current. He is a former employee of SmithKline Beecham plc. (now GlaxoSmithKline), Roche Products Ltd, and Aventis‐Pasteur MSD (now Sanofi Pasteur MSD), all prior to 2005, with no outstanding pecuniary interests by way of shareholdings, share options or accrued pension rights. AZ has received fees for participating in review activities from the Global Influenza Programme, World Health Organization. JE has received consultancy fees from GSK.

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