Incidence of pandemic influenza and the immunogenicity of the pandemic vaccin.

We will investigate the incidence of pandemic influenza in healthy adults between 18 and 52 years of age that have either received the pandemic influenza vaccine or not and analyze whether humoral and cellular immune responses correlate with protection against influenza. The findings will have important implications for future pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccination campaigns.

Evaluation of pandemic influenza incidence of vaccinated subjects compared to unvaccinated subjects in correlation with immunogenicity of the vaccine.

Timepoint 1: Presample blood and first vaccination;

Timepoint 2: Bloodsample 10-14 days after vaccination;

Timepoint 3: Bloodsample 3 weeks after first vaccination and second vaccination;

Timepoint 4: Blood sampling 3 weeks after second vaccination;

Timepoint 5: Nose swab, applicable if influenza-like illness is reported;

Timepoint 6: Bloodsampling at end of pandemic;

Timepoint 7: Bloodsample 1 year after vaccination;

Timepoint 8: Bloodsample 3 weeks after timepoint 7 (if additional influenza vaccination is administered);

Timepoint 9: Bloodsample at end of influenza season 2010/2011.

Healthy adults will be vaccinated 2 times with a 3 week interval with the pandemic influenza vaccin Focetria (Novartis). At the described timepoints blood sampling will take place for immunological analysis. In the control group, individuals will not be vaccinated and bloodsampling will take place at timepoint 1 and 6.

In both groups, a nose swab will be taken when an individual reports influenza-like symptoms to confirm the presence of pandemic H1N1 virus. Primary endpoint of the study is the difference in the percentage of individuals infected with the pandemic influenza virus in both arms of the study.