Comparative Postmarket Safety Profile of Adjuvanted and High-Dose Influenza Vaccines in Individuals 65 Years or Older

Key Points Question Were the 2018 adjuvanted trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIIV) and high-dose TIIV associated with adverse events in Australian individuals 65 years or older? Findings In this cohort study of active safety surveillance system data including 50 134 adults 65 years or older who responded to a short messaging service–based survey of self-reported adverse events following immunization, 94.4% of participants received an adjuvanted TIIV or high-dose TIIV. Individuals who received a high-dose TIIV reported higher rates of select adverse events, including fever and injection site reactions, but rates of seeking care were low and did not differ between enhanced vaccine groups. Meaning The findings of this postmarketing active sentinel surveillance system study consisting of self-reported adverse events following immunization suggest that these 2 new enhanced influenza vaccines were well tolerated among an older Australian population.