Skip to main content
PMC home page
The BMJ logoLink to The BMJ
. 1993 Oct 16;307(6910):988–990. doi: 10.1136/bmj.307.6910.988

Adverse reactions to influenza vaccine in elderly people: randomised double blind placebo controlled trial.

T M Govaert 1, G J Dinant 1, K Aretz 1, N Masurel 1, M J Sprenger 1, J A Knottnerus 1
PMCID: PMC1679213  PMID: 8241913

Abstract

OBJECTIVE--To assess the frequency and type of side effects after influenza vaccination in elderly people. DESIGN--Randomised double blind placebo controlled study. SETTING--15 general practices in the southern Netherlands. SUBJECTS--1806 patients aged 60 or older, of whom 904 received influenza vaccine and 902 placebo. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Adverse reactions reported on postal questionnaire completed four weeks after vaccination. RESULTS--210 (23%) patients given vaccine reported one or more adverse reactions compared with 127 (14%) given placebo. The frequency of local adverse reactions were 17.5% in the vaccine group and 7.3% in the placebo group (p < 0.001). There was no difference in systemic adverse reactions (11% v 9.4%; p = 0.34). In general, men reported fewer side effects than women. CONCLUSION--Only local side effects were more common in vaccinated patients and all side effects were mild.

Full text

PDF
990

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barker W. H., Mullooly J. P. Impact of epidemic type A influenza in a defined adult population. Am J Epidemiol. 1980 Dec;112(6):798–811. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113052. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barker W. H., Mullooly J. P. Pneumonia and influenza deaths during epidemics: implications for prevention. Arch Intern Med. 1982 Jan;142(1):85–89. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Eraker S. A., Kirscht J. P., Becker M. H. Understanding and improving patient compliance. Ann Intern Med. 1984 Feb;100(2):258–268. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-100-2-258. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ganguly R., Schler S., Vargas L., Cameron D., Chmel H., Benhke R. H. Reasons for nonimmunization against influenza in the aged. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1989 Apr;37(4):387–387. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1989.tb05511.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gomm P. J., Osselton M. D., Broster C. G., Johnson N. M., Upton K. Study into the ability of patients with impaired lung function to use breath alcohol testing devices. Med Sci Law. 1991 Jul;31(3):221–225. doi: 10.1177/002580249103100305. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Helliwell B. E., Drummond M. F. The costs and benefits of preventing influenza in Ontario's elderly. Can J Public Health. 1988 May-Jun;79(3):175–180. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. La Montagne J. R., Noble G. R., Quinnan G. V., Curlin G. T., Blackwelder W. C., Smith J. I., Ennis F. A., Bozeman F. M. Summary of clinical trials of inactivated influenza vaccine - 1978. Rev Infect Dis. 1983 Jul-Aug;5(4):723–736. doi: 10.1093/clinids/5.4.723. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Margolis K. L., Nichol K. L., Poland G. A., Pluhar R. E. Frequency of adverse reactions to influenza vaccine in the elderly. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. JAMA. 1990 Sep 5;264(9):1139–1141. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Margolis K. L., Poland G. A., Nichol K. L., MacPherson D. S., Meyer J. D., Korn J. E., Lofgren R. P. Frequency of adverse reactions after influenza vaccination. Am J Med. 1990 Jan;88(1):27–30. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(90)90123-u. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Masurel N., Laufer J. A one-year study of trivalent influenza vaccines in primed and unprimed volunteers: immunogenicity, clinical reactions and protection. J Hyg (Lond) 1984 Jun;92(3):263–276. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400064500. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mostow S. R., Eickhoff T. C., Chelgren G. A., Retailliau H. F., Castle M. Studies of inactivated influenza virus vaccines in hospital employees: reactogenicity and absenteeism. J Infect Dis. 1977 Dec;136 (Suppl):S533–S538. doi: 10.1093/infdis/136.supplement_3.s533. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Mostow S. R., Schoenbaum S. C., Dowdle W. R., Coleman M. T., Kaye H. S. Studies with inactivated influenza vaccines purified by zonal centrifugation. 1. Adverse reactions and serological responses. Bull World Health Organ. 1969;41(3):525–530. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Nichol K. L., Lofgren R. P., Gapinski J. Influenza vaccination. Knowledge, attitudes, and behavior among high-risk outpatients. Arch Intern Med. 1992 Jan;152(1):106–110. doi: 10.1001/archinte.152.1.106. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ruben F. L., Jackson G. G. A new subunit influenza vaccine: acceptability compared with standard vaccines and effect of dose on antigenicity. J Infect Dis. 1972 Jun;125(6):656–664. doi: 10.1093/infdis/125.6.656. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Scheifele D. W., Bjornson G., Johnston J. Evaluation of adverse events after influenza vaccination in hospital personnel. CMAJ. 1990 Jan 15;142(2):127–130. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sprenger M. J., Desmyter J., Masurel N. Minderheidsstandpunt over influenzavaccinatie bij ouderen. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 1991 Nov 23;135(47):2208–2210. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from BMJ : British Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES