IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO INFLUENZA VACCINATION IN CHILDREN WITH RENAL-DISEASE

Although immunization with influenza vaccine is recommended for childr en with chronic renal disease and after organ transplantation, the ant ibody response in these children has not been well described. We studi ed the response to the 1993-1994 trivalent influenza vaccine in childr en, aged 1-21 years, with chronic renal failure (n=15), end-stage rena l disease requiring dialysis (n=10), and post renal transplantation (n =17). Each group's antibody response was compared with that of a contr ol group (n=7). No significant differences were found in seroconversio n rates, percentage of patients achieving protective hemagglutination- inhibition titers post vaccination or change in geometric mean titers from pre to post vaccination between study groups and controls. These results suggest that pediatric patients with renal disease will respon d and therefore will benefit from currently recommended influenza immu nization.