Immunogenicity, safety and tolerability of monovalent 2009 pandemic influenza A/H1N1 MF59-adjuvanted vaccine in patients with β-thalassemia major.

In order to evaluate the immunogenicity, safety, and tolerability of monovalent 2009 pandemic influenza A/H1N1 MF59-adjuvanted vaccine in patients with β-thalassemia major, 31 subjects (19 males; mean age 17.8±8.7 years) with β-thalassemia major and 28 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Four weeks after vaccination, seroconversion rates were about 80% and seroprotection rates 100% in both groups. Three months after vaccination, most of the subjects remained seroconverted and the seroprotection rates were 93.5% among the patients and 100% among the controls. Safety and tolerability were also very good, with no differences between the groups.