Antigenic assessment of the H3N2 component of the 2019-2020 Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine

Sigrid Gouma; Madison Weirick; Scott E Hensley

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-16183-y

Antigenic assessment of the H3N2 component of the 2019-2020 Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine

Nat Commun. 2020 May 15;11(1):2445. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-16183-y.

Authors

Sigrid Gouma¹, Madison Weirick¹, Scott E Hensley²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
² Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. hensley@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

Abstract

The 2019-2020 Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine includes antigens from 3c3.A H3N2 viruses; however, over half of circulating H3N2 viruses belong to subclade 3c2.A1b. Here, we analyze antibody responses elicited by the egg-adapted 3c3.A H3N2 vaccine strain in ferrets and humans. We find that this vaccine strain elicits antibodies that have reduced reactivity to a wild-type 3c3.A strain and very limited reactivity to 3c2.A strains, including the currently circulating 3c2.A1b strain.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Animals
Antibodies, Neutralizing / blood
Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology
Antibodies, Viral / immunology
Antigens, Viral / chemistry
Antigens, Viral / immunology*
Ferrets / immunology
Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / immunology
Humans
Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype / immunology*
Influenza Vaccines / immunology*
Ovum / immunology

Substances

Antibodies, Neutralizing
Antibodies, Viral
Antigens, Viral
Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus
Influenza Vaccines

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding