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. 2016 Jan 12;7(2):1185-92.
doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.6746.

Ineffectiveness of the 2014-2015 H3N2 influenza vaccine

Michal Mandelboim  1 , Aharona Glatman-Freedman  2   3 , Yaron Drori  1 , Hilda Sherbany  1 , Rakefet Pando  1 , Hanna Sefty  2 , Hila Zadka  2 , Tamar Shohat  2   4 , Nathan Keller  5   6 , Ella Mendelson  1   4
Affiliations

Ineffectiveness of the 2014-2015 H3N2 influenza vaccine

Michal Mandelboim et al. Oncotarget. .

Abstract

The seasonal influenza vaccine is currently the most effective preventive modality against influenza infection. Nasopharyngeal samples of vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients presenting with Influenza-like-illness (ILI) were collected from over 20 outpatient clinics located in different geographic parts of Israel and were tested for the presence of influenza viruses (influenza A and influenza B). Here we show, that in the 2014-2015 season, the vaccine that included the A/Texas/50/2012 H3N2 virus was ineffective. Significant numbers of individuals vaccinated with the 2014-2015 vaccine, of all ages, were infected with influenza A (H3N2), manifesting similar symptoms as the non-vaccinated group. We further demonstrate that the Israeli circulating influenza A(H3N2) virus was different than that included in the 2014-2015 northern hemisphere vaccine, and that antibodies elicited by this vaccine were significantly less efficient in neutralizing influenza A(H3N2) infection.

Keywords: Immune response; Immunity; Immunology and Microbiology Section; influenza; vaccine.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

There is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Location of the clinics in different geographic parts in Israel
Figure 2
Figure 2. Vaccination status of patients infected with H3N2 influenza
The graph demonstrates the number of influenza A (H3N2)-positive patients and their vaccination status.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Percentages of vaccinated and infected individuals from 2012-2015
Figure 4
Figure 4. Phylogenetic analysis of influenza A (H3N2) isolated in Israel during the 2014-2015 season
Phylogenetic tree generated by comparing the 928 nucleotides of the HA protein. The northern hemisphere 2014-2015 vaccine strain A/Texas/50/2012 is shown in light blue. Strains isolated from vaccinated individuals are shown in red and from non-vaccinated individuals in green. Influenza A(H3N2) isolated during the 2013-2014 season and reference strains are shown in black.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Symptoms and ages
The figure demonstrates the symptoms and signs (A) and age (B) of patients infected with influenza A(H3N2) virus. The total number of patients in each group (vaccinated and non-vaccinated) were set to be 100%.
Figure 6
Figure 6. Microneutralization assay using serum of individuals vaccinated with the northern hemisphere 2014-2015 influenza vaccine
A. Antibody titers against the Israeli circulating influenza A(H3N2) strain (A/Israel/P-151/2014) and the vaccine influenza strain (A/Texas/50/2012). B. Geometric Mean Titers (GMT) antibody neutralization of the Israeli circulating influenza A(H3N2) and the vaccine influenza A(H3N2) strain. *P < 0.0001 using the chi-square test.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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