Safety of a Pandemic Influenza Vaccine and the Immune Response in Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Objective To examine the safety of and immune response to the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Methods Forty-four non-ambulatory patients with DMD hospitalized in a muscle disease ward and 41 healthy healthcare workers each received one dose of the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine. Serum samples were collected before and four weeks after vaccination to measure the hemagglutinin inhibition antibody titers. Results No severe adverse events were noted in any of the subjects. The immune responses of the patients were comparable to those of the healthcare workers. Among the patients, tube feeding and a lower total protein level in the serum were identified to be significantly associated with a lower immune response. Conclusion A single dose of the vaccine was found to be safe and induced an optimal level of immunity in the DMD patients. The nutritional status may be associated with the immune response in patients with DMD.