Investigation of Potential Cross-Protection Conferred by the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Against Swine Influenza A Viruses of Pandemic Potential

Background/Objectives: Influenza A viruses cause seasonal epidemics of respiratory infections in humans, the severity of which can be mitigated by influenza vaccine use. Influenza A viruses circulating in pigs continue to pose a pandemic threat, as evidenced by the influenza virus that caused the 2009 pandemic, which originated in pigs. To understand the relative risk of emergence of influenza A viruses from pigs and to assess the potential role of the seasonal influenza vaccine in mitigating this risk, we evaluate the potential cross-protection afforded by the seasonal influenza vaccine against different clades of recently circulating swine influenza A viruses. Methods: The presence of cross-reactive antibodies in pre- and post-vaccination human serum samples was measured in haemagglutination and microneutralisation assays. Representative H1 swine influenza A viruses from different genetic lineages were tested against sera collected after administration of the seasonal influenza vaccine in healthy adult volunteers over a 6-year time-period. Results: Although a clade-dependent boosting of post-vaccination antibody titres was observed, protective titres often failed to be reached. There was heterogeneity in recognition by sera for the contemporary swine influenza A viruses, with the 1C.2.1 clade virus being well recognised in both assays, whilst very low pre- and post-vaccination antibody titres were observed against the 1A.3.3.2 clade (which emerged in pigs following the reverse zoonotic introduction from humans of the A/H1N1 pdm09 virus) by both assays. Conclusions: Seasonal influenza vaccines produce cross-reactive antibodies against some clades of influenza A viruses circulating in pigs, but not all. Depending on the lineage and clade of the virus, the seasonal influenza vaccine might have utility in the event of a swine variant outbreak in humans, whilst a specific vaccine against the outbreak strain is developed.