Prime-boost, double-dose influenza vaccine immunity in COPD: a pilot observational study

Abstract

Background COPD patients are more susceptible to viral respiratory infections and their sequelae, and have intrinsically weaker immune responses to vaccinations against influenza and other pathogens. Prime-boost, double-dose immunisation has been suggested as a general strategy to overcome weak humoral response to vaccines, such as seasonal influenza vaccination, in susceptible populations with weak immunity. However, this strategy, which may also provide fundamental insights into the nature of weakened immunity, has not been formally studied in COPD. Methods We conducted an open-label study of seasonal influenza vaccination in 33 vaccine-experienced COPD patients recruited from established ..