Adjuvanted Flu Shot Protects Seniors Better

A recent study found that the Fluad® MF59-adjuvanted influenza vaccine (aTIV) was more effective than the high-dose flu vaccine (HD-TIV) at preventing severe respiratory complications in older adults with risk factors.

Published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases on August 16, 2024, the study included 1,115,725 aTIV and 2,561,718 HD-TIV recipients. For the primary outcome, the analysis found comparable effectiveness between aTIV and HD-TIV (rVE [95% CI]: 5.2% [-5.9–15.1]) among those with 0 risk factors, whereas aTIV was more effective than HD-TIV among patients with ≥1, 1–2, or ≥3 risk factors (12.5% (10.0–15.0), 18.4% (13.7–22.9), and 10.4% (7.4–13.3), respectively).

The same trends were observed for the secondary outcomes.

Previous studies have found the two vaccines to be similar in effectiveness in older adults.

The Fluad vaccine has an extensive clinical legacy and has been licensed in 30 countries since its first approval in 1997. Fluad is available at most pharmacies in the U.S. for the 2024-2025 flu season.