[Aerosol vaccination of mice with inactivated influenza virus (author's transl)].

NMRI mice were vaccinated by the aerosol technique, using the ethylethylenimine inactivated and polyethylenglycol concentrated virus strain A/PR/8/34 (HO/N1) with or without addition of Bordetella pertussis extract (BPE) as an adjuvant. The immune response of the vaccinated animals was controlled by challenge infection via aerosol technique and by examination of HAI antibodies in the serum and in the washings of lungs. After a single aerosol vaccination a weak protection was observed only, if the vaccines contained BPE. But a second immunization with a vaccine containing BPE induced a high degree of immunity, even if a reduced amount of antigen was used for booster vaccination. After three aerosol vaccine doses in two-weeks intervals, however, we were unable to infect the immunized animals even with largest amounts of challenge virus (approximately 50 000 LD50). The addition of BPE as an adjuvant induced a significantly better protection and resulted in much higher titres of HAI antibodies in the serum and in the respiratory tract compared to mice vaccinated by the same procedure but without BPE.