SIDE EFFECTS
CSL's Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine and
seasonal trivalent Influenza Virus Vaccine (AFLURIA) are manufactured by the
same process. The data in this section were obtained from clinical studies and
postmarketing experience with AFLURIA.
Overall Adverse Reactions
Serious allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock,
have been observed during postmarketing surveillance in individuals receiving
AFLURIA.
In adults, the most common local (injection-site) adverse
reactions observed in clinical studies with AFLURIA were tenderness, pain,
redness and swelling. The most common systemic adverse reactions observed were
headache, malaise, and muscle aches.
In children, the most common local (injection-site)
adverse reactions observed in a clinical study with AFLURIA were pain, redness
and swelling. The most common systemic adverse reactions observed were
irritability, rhinitis, fever, cough, loss of appetite, vomiting/diarrhea,
headache, muscle aches and sore throat.
Safety Experience From Clinical Studies
Because clinical studies are conducted under widely
varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of
a vaccine cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another
vaccine and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice.
Clinical data for AFLURIA have been obtained in four
clinical studies, three in adult populations and one in a pediatric population
(see Clinical Studies). Safety data are provided for two of the adult
studies and the pediatric study.
A US study (Study 1) included 1,357 subjects for safety
analysis, ages 18 to less than 65 years, randomized to receive AFLURIA (1,089
subjects) or placebo (268 subjects) (see Clinical Studies for study
demographics). There were no deaths or serious adverse events reported in this
study.
A UK study (Study 2) included 275 subjects, ages 65 years
and older, randomized to receive preservative-free AFLURIA (206 subjects) or a
European-licensed trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine as an active control
(69 subjects) (see Clinical Studies). There were no deaths or serious
adverse events reported in this study.
An open-label, uncontrolled study in children, conducted
in Australia (Study 4), included 298 subjects, ages 6 months to less than 9
years. All subjects received preservative-free AFLURIA administered as two
doses, one month apart (see Clinical Studies). Subjects were subdivided
into two age groups: children ages 6 months to less than 3 years (151 subjects)
received two 0.25 mL doses of AFLURIA and children ages 3 years to less than 9
years (147 subjects) received two 0.5 mL doses of AFLURIA. There were no deaths
or vaccine-related serious adverse events reported in this study.
The safety assessment was identical for the two adult
studies. Local (injection-site) and systemic adverse events were solicited by
completion of a symptom diary card for 5 days post-vaccination (Table 1).
Unsolicited adverse events were collected for 21 days post-vaccination (Table
2). These unsolicited adverse events were reported either spontaneously or when
subjects were questioned about any changes in their health post-vaccination.
All adverse events are presented regardless of any treatment causality assigned
by study investigators.
In the pediatric study, solicited adverse events were
recorded for up to 7 days (Table 3) and unsolicited adverse events were
recorded for 30 days post-vaccination (Table 4). Data are presented following
each dose for each age group. All adverse events are presented regardless of
any treatment causality assigned by study investigators.
Table 1: Proportion of Subjects With Solicited Local
or Systemic Adverse Events* Within 5 Days After Administration of AFLURIA or
Placebo, Irrespective of Causality† (Studies 1 and 2, Adult Populations)
Solicited Adverse event |
Study 1
Subjects ≥ 18 to < 65 years |
Study 2
Subjects ≥ 65 years |
AFLURIA‡
n=1089 |
Placebo §
n=268 |
AFLURIA
n=206 |
Local |
Tenderness|| |
60% |
18% |
34% |
Pain¶ |
40% |
9% |
9% |
Redness |
16% |
8% |
23% |
Swelling |
9% |
1% |
11% |
Bruising |
5% |
1% |
4% |
Systemic |
Headache |
26% |
26% |
15% |
Malaise |
20% |
19% |
10% |
Muscle aches |
13% |
9% |
14% |
Nausea |
6% |
9% |
3% |
Chills/ Shivering |
3% |
2% |
7% |
Fever ≥ 37.7°C (99.9°F) |
1% |
1% |
1% |
Vomiting |
1% |
1% |
0% |
* In Study 1, 87% of solicited local and systemic adverse
events were mild, 12% were moderate, and 1% were severe. In Study 2, 76.5% were
mild, 20.5% were moderate, and 3% were severe. In both studies, most solicited
local and systemic adverse events lasted no longer than 2 days.
† Values rounded to the nearest whole percent.
‡ Includes subjects who received either the single-dose (preservative-free) or
multi-dose formulation of AFLURIA.
§ Thimerosal-containing placebo.
||Tenderness defined
as pain on touching.
¶Pain defined as spontaneously painful without touch. |
Table 2: Adverse Events* Reported Spontaneously by
≥ 1% of Subjects Within 21 Days After Administration of AFLURIA or
Placebo, Irrespective of Causality† (Studies 1 and 2, Adult Populations)
Adverse Event |
Study 1
Subjects ≥ 18 to < 65 years |
Study 2
Subjects ≥ 65 years |
AFLURIA‡
n=1089 |
Placebo §
n=268 |
AFLURIA
n=206 |
Headache |
8% |
6% |
8% |
Nasal Congestion |
1% |
1% |
7% |
Cough |
1% |
0.40% |
5% |
Rhinorrhea |
1% |
1% |
5% |
Pharyngolaryngeal Pain |
3% |
1% |
5% |
Reactogenicity Event |
3% |
3% |
0% |
Diarrhea |
2% |
3% |
1% |
Back Pain |
2% |
0.40% |
2% |
Upper Respiratory Tract Infection |
2% |
1% |
0.50% |
Viral Infection |
0.40% |
1% |
0% |
Lower Respiratory Tract Infection |
0% |
0% |
1% |
Myalgia |
1% |
1% |
1% |
Muscle Spasms |
0.40% |
1% |
0% |
* In Study 1, 63% of unsolicited adverse events were
mild, 35% were moderate, and 2% were severe. In Study 2, 47% were mild, 51%
were moderate, and 3% were severe. In both studies, most unsolicited adverse
events lasted no longer than 5 days.
† Values rounded to the nearest whole percent.
‡ Includes subjects who received either the single-dose (preservative-free) or
multi-dose formulation of AFLURIA.
§ Thimerosal-containing placebo. |
Table 3: Proportion of Subjects With Solicited Local
or Systemic Adverse Events* Within 7 Days After Administration of AFLURIA,
Irrespective of Causality† (Study 4, Pediatric Population)
Solicited Adverse Event |
Subjects ≥ 6 months to < 3 years
(n = 151)‡ |
Subjects ≥ 3 years to < 9 years
(n = 147)§ |
Dose 1 |
Dose 2 |
Dose 1 |
Dose 2 |
Local |
Pain |
36% |
37% |
59% |
62% |
Erythema |
36% |
38% |
37% |
46% |
Swelling |
16% |
21% |
25% |
27% |
Systemic |
Irritability |
48% |
41% |
20% |
17% |
Rhinitis |
37% |
48% |
21% |
29% |
Fever1 |
23% |
23% |
16% |
8% |
Cough |
21% |
32% |
19% |
19% |
Loss of appetite |
19% |
24% |
8% |
5% |
Vomiting/Diarrhea |
15% |
14% |
8% |
7% |
Headache |
2%' |
3%** |
14% |
11% |
Myalgia |
1%# |
3%** |
14% |
8% |
Sore throat |
2%' |
5%** |
8% |
11% |
Wheezing/ Shortness of breath |
3% |
9% |
3% |
2% |
Ear ache |
3%** |
3%# |
4% |
1% |
* In Study 4, 78% of all local and systemic solicited
events experienced by children ages 6 months to less than 3 years were mild,
19% were moderate and 3% were severe; 76% of all events experienced by children
ages 3 years to less than 9 years were mild, 20% moderate and 4% severe. Severe
pain was reported by < 1% of children ages 6 months to less than 3 years and
3% in children ages 3 years to less than 9 years. Severe fever ( > 103.1°F
axillary or > 104.0°F oral) was reported by < 1% of subjects in children
ages 6 months to less than 3 years and 1% of subjects in children ages 3 years
to less than 9 years.
† Values rounded to the nearest whole percent.
‡ Dosage in children 6 months to less than 3 years of age was 0.25 mL.
§ Dosage in children 3 years to less than 9 years of age was 0.5 mL.
|| Axillary
Temperature ≥ 37.5°C (99.5°F) or Oral Temperature ≥ 38.0°C (100.4 °F).
¶Data obtained from a total of 148 subjects.
# Data obtained from a total of 149 subjects.
** Data obtained from a total of 150 subjects. |
Table 4: Adverse Events* Reported Spontaneously by
≥ 5% of Subjects Within 30 Days After Administration of AFLURIA,
Irrespective of Causality (Study 4, Pediatric Population)
Adverse Event |
Subjects ≥ 6 months to < 3 years
(n = 151)† |
Subjects ≥ 3 to < 9 years
(n = 147)‡ |
Dose 1 |
Dose 2 |
Dose 1 |
Dose 2 |
Nasopharyngitis |
5.30% |
7.90% |
5.40% |
5.40% |
Rhinitis |
13.20% |
9.90% |
6.80% |
10.90% |
Upper Respiratory Tract Infection |
9.90% |
7.30% |
6.10% |
6.10% |
Irritability |
3.30% |
5.30% |
0.70% |
0.70% |
Headache |
1.30% |
0.70% |
6.10% |
4.10% |
Cough |
10.60% |
13.20% |
10.90% |
13.60% |
Rhinorrhea |
7.30% |
6.00% |
6.80% |
4.80% |
Teething |
14.60% |
9.90% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
Vomiting |
5.30% |
2.60% |
2.00% |
2.70% |
Influenza-like Illness |
13.90% |
10.60% |
6.80% |
3.40% |
Pyrexia |
2.60% |
9.30% |
2.70% |
4.10% |
* In Study 4, for both doses and both groups combined,
47% of unsolicited adverse events were mild, 42% were moderate, and 12% were
severe.
† Dosage in children 6 months to less than 3 years of age was 0.25 mL.
‡ Dosage in children 3 years to less than 9 years of age was 0.5 mL. |
Postmarketing Experience
Because postmarketing reporting of adverse reactions is voluntary and from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to vaccine exposure. The adverse reactions described have been included in this section because they: 1) represent reactions that are known to occur following immunizations generally or influenza immunizations specifically; 2) are potentially serious; or 3) have been reported frequently. These adverse reactions reflect experience in both children and adults and include those identified during post-approval use of AFLURIA outside the US since 1985.
Blood And Lymphatic System Disorders
Transient thrombocytopenia
Immune System Disorders
Allergic reactions including anaphylactic shock and serum sickness
Nervous System Disorders
Neuralgia, paresthesia, and convulsions; encephalopathy, neuritis or neuropathy, transverse myelitis, and GBS
Vascular Disorders
Vasculitis with transient renal involvement
Skin And Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders
Pruritus, urticaria, and rash
Other Adverse Reactions Associated With Influenza Vaccination
Anaphylaxis has been reported after administration of AFLURIA. Although AFLURIA and Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine contain only a limited quantity of egg proteins, these proteins can induce immediate hypersensitivity reactions among persons who have severe egg allergy. Allergic reactions include hives, angioedema, asthma, and systemic anaphylaxis (see CONTRAINDICATIONS).
The 1976 swine influenza vaccine was associated with an increased frequency of GBS. Evidence for a causal relation of GBS with subsequent vaccines prepared from other influenza viruses is unclear. If influenza vaccine does pose a risk, it is probably slightly more than one additional case per 1 million persons vaccinated.
Neurological disorders temporally associated with influenza vaccination, such as encephalopathy, optic neuritis/neuropathy, partial facial paralysis, and brachial plexus neuropathy, have been reported.
Microscopic polyangiitis (vasculitis) has been reported temporally associated with influenza vaccination.