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Abstract
Influenza viruses are endemic in the human and animal populations and have been implicated in numerous pandemics. The diversity of the circulating human viruses includes four subtypes (H1N1, H3N2, Yamagata-lineage, Victoria-lineage). Within the subtypes, there are numerous antigenic clusters. Influenza vaccine initiatives push for broadly protective vaccine development. However currently, there is no consensus on the definition of the breadth of response. Different methods are used including both qualitative and quantitative methods. Here we introduced using different influenza distance measures (time-, sequence-, and cartographic-based) to quantify the change in distance and the change in HAI titer in a cohort of individuals who received the standard dose influenza vaccine. Further, the area under the curve was quantified to measure breadth. A proof-of-concept is provided comparing standard and high dose vaccination responses in an elderly cohort. Overall, a consistent breadth measure allows for quantitative descriptions of antibody, cellular, and antiviral activity.