| Objective. To evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of influenza vaccination in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).;Results. Seventy percent, 72%, and 53% of IBD subjects developed an immunogenic response to H3N2, H1N1, and B strains, respectively; similarly, 95%, 98%, and 85% developed serologic protection, respectively. For the B strain, IBD subjects were less likely to mount an immunogenic response compared to controls, and immunosuppressed subjects were less likely to develop serologic protection compared to nonimmunosuppressed subjects with IBD. In the majority, the vaccine appeared to be well tolerated.;Conclusion. Though children with IBD develop appropriate immunogenicity to the influenza vaccine A strains, the response to the B strain appears to be impaired, especially with use of immunosuppressive therapy.;Methods. Sixty IBD subjects and 53 controls completed the study. Immunogenicity was measured by immunogenic response (≥fourfold increase from pre-immunization to post-immunization hemagglutination-inhibition titers) and serologic protection (post-immunization hemagglutination-inhibition titer ≥40). |
