Double-dose flu vaccine linked to higher antibody production in organ recipients, study finds

A double-dose flu vaccine could increase antibody production in organ recipients to help them better fight off the virus after a transplant, according to a study published in Vaccine.

Here are three things to know:

1. For the study, researchers used randomized controlled trials to compare the immunogenicity and safety of double-dose and standard dose flu vaccines in 63 kidney and 16 liver transplant recipients. Forty patients received the double-dose flu vaccine and 39 received the single-dose vaccine.

2. Forty percent of the double-dose patients responded to the vaccine, compared to the 26 percent of the single-dose patients. In the double-dose group, 88 percent were protected against all viral strains, compared to 69 percent of people in the single-dose group. About 132 titers of antibodies for the H1Ni virus were present in the double-dose group post-vaccination, compared to about 90 titers of antibodies in the single-dose group.

3. Researchers concluded the double-dose influenza vaccine is safe for patients with compromised immune systems and may increase antibody response in transplant recipients.

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