Systematic review of the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of recombinant haemagglutinin seasonal influenza vaccines for the prevention of laboratory-confirmed influenza in individuals ≥18 years of age

Eamon O Murchu*, Laura Comber, Karen Jordan, Sarah Hawkshaw, Liam Marshall, Michelle O’Neill, Máirín Ryan, Conor Teljeur, Annasara Carnahan, Jaime Jesús Pérez, Anna Hayman Robertson, Kari Johansen, Jorgen de Jonge, Tyra Krause, Nathalie Nicolay, Hanna Nohynek, Ioanna Pavlopoulou, Richard Pebody, Pasi Penttinen, Marta Soler-SoneiraOle Wichmann, Patricia Harrington

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The most effective means of preventing seasonal influenza is through vaccination. In this systematic review, we investigated the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of recombinant haemagglutinin (HA) seasonal influenza vaccines to prevent laboratory-confirmed influenza. A systematic literature search was conducted in electronic databases and grey literature sources up to 7 February 2020. Randomised controlled trials and non-randomised studies of interventions were eligible for inclusion. The search returned 28,846 records, of which 10 studies on recombinant HA influenza vaccine met our inclusion criteria. One study found that the quadrivalent recombinant HA influenza vaccine had higher relative vaccine efficacy (rVE) in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza during the 2014–15 season compared with traditional quadrivalent vaccination in adults aged ≥50 years (rVE = 30%, 95% CI 10%–47%, moderate-certainty evidence). In a subgroup analysis, higher rVE was reported for influenza A (rVE = 36%, 95% CI 14% to 53%), but not for B (non-significant). Another study reported higher efficacy for the trivalent recombinant HA vaccine compared with placebo (VE = 45%, 95% CI 19–63, 1 RCT, low-certainty evidence) in adults aged 18–55 years. With the exception of a higher rate of chills (RR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.03–1.72), the safety profile of recombinant HA vaccines was comparable to that of traditional influenza vaccines. The evidence base for the efficacy and effectiveness of recombinant HA influenza vaccines is limited at present, although one study found that the quadrivalent recombinant HA influenza vaccine had higher rVE compared with traditional quadrivalent vaccination in adults aged ≥50 years.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere2331
JournalReviews in Medical Virology
Volume33
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2023
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Keywords

  • Flublok
  • influenza vaccine
  • recombinant HA

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Systematic review of the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of recombinant haemagglutinin seasonal influenza vaccines for the prevention of laboratory-confirmed influenza in individuals ≥18 years of age'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this