High-Dose Flu Vaccine Improves Outcomes in Elderly Patients

High-dose influenza vaccine, when compared with standard-dose vaccine, reduces respiratory-related hospitalization in nursing home residents aged 65 years and older, according to a recent study.

Noting a decline in immune response with age, researchers compared the effects of a high-dose trivalent influenza vaccine with a standard-dose vaccine in a single-blind, pragmatic, comparative effectiveness, cluster-randomized trial with a 2x2 factorial design.
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The study included 823 nursing homes that were randomized to a facility-wide standard of care for the 2013-2014 influenza season. Residents who were 65 years or older and who were long-stay residents were included in the analysis.

Based on Medicare fee-for-service claims, the incidence of respiratory-related hospital admissions was significantly lower in the group receiving high-dose influenza vaccine than in those who received a standard dose (0.185 per 1000 resident-days vs 0.211 per 1000 resident-days).

“When compared with standard-dose vaccine, high-dose influenza vaccine can reduce risk of respiratory-related hospital admissions from nursing home residents aged 65 years and older.”

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Gravenstein S, Davidson HE, Taljaard M, et al. Comparative effectiveness of high-dose versus standard-dose influenza vaccination on numbers of US nursing home residents admitted to hospital: a cluster-randomised trial –published online July 20, 2017]. Lancet Respir Med. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(17)30235-7.