Response of Children with Cardiac Disease to the Bivalent Influenza A Vaccines

During the recent nationwide trials of influenza vaccine, 121 children with cardiac disease, aged three to 18 years, were evaluated with respect to their immune response and reaction rate after administration of a whole-virus or split-virus bivalent influenza A/New Jersey/76-A/Victoria/75 vaccine given as a single dose or two divided doses. The serologic response of the cardiac children did not differ significantly from that of the total group of high-risk children or normal children who received the same vaccine. The major reaction to the vaccines was fever, which occurred in onefourth to one-half of children receiving the whole-virus vaccines. The split-virus vaccines were generally well tolerated. The reaction index of the cardiac children was slightly lower than that of the normal children receiving the same vaccine during the single-dose trial, but higher during the two-dose trial. The second dose was generally better tolerated than the first dose. Reactions in the children with cardiac disease could not be adequately evaluated according to specific diagnoses or functional disabili ties.