The use of amantadine and influenza vaccine in a type A influenza epidemic in a boarding school

Abstract

Prophylactic immunization with the current standard vaccine failed to prevent an epidemic of type A influenza in a large boarding school. In one House 31 boys were given amantadine 100 mg daily at the start of the epidemic. None of these boys suffered influenza whereas 30 per cent of the rest of the school was confined to the sickbays. This experience with amantadine challenges the policy of routine prophylactic immunization against influenza.