Neuraminidase-inhibiting (NAi) antibodies have been reported to be an independent correlate of protection from influenza disease, but the NAi antibody response to influenza vaccination has never been assessed in chronically ill or immunocompromised participants. Using an enzyme-linked lectin assay, we demonstrated that 2 immunizations with a Vero cell culture-derived, whole-virus H5N1 A/Vietnam vaccine induces NAi antibodies in 94.3% of chronically ill and 83.8% of immunocompromised participants. A booster with a heterologous A/Indonesia H5N1 vaccine induced comparable NAi antibody titers in both groups and resulted in 100% seropositivity. These data support prepandemic H5N1 vaccination strategies for these highly vulnerable risk groups.
Keywords: avian influenza; influenza vaccine; neuraminidase; risk populations; vero cell culture.