Cross-clade protective immune responses of NS1-truncated live attenuated H5N1 avian influenza vaccines

BackgroundH5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has raised global concern for causing huge economic losses in poultry industry, and an effective vaccine against HPAI is highly desirable. Live attenuated influenza vaccine with trunctated NS1 protein as a potential strategy will be extremely useful for improving immune efficacy.MethodsA series of H5N1 avian influenza virus reassortants harboring amino-terminal 48, 70, 73, and 99 aa in NS1 proteins, along with a modified low pathogenic HA protein was generated, and named as S-HALo/NS48, S-HALo/NS70, S-HALo/NS73, and S-HALo/NS99, respectively. In addition, their biological and immunological characteristics were further analyzed.ResultsThe viruses S-HALo/NS70, S-HALo/NS73, and S-HALo/NS99, but not S-HALo/NS48, had a comparable growth property with the full-length NS1 virus, S-HALo/NSFu. Mice and chickens studies demonstrated that the viruses with truncated NS1 protein were further attenuated when compared to the virus S-HALo/NSFu. Vaccination with the virus S-HALo/NS73 in chickens induced significant cross-protection against homologous clade 2.3.4 H5 virus and heterologous clade 7.2, 2.3.2.1, and 2.3.4.4 H5 viruses.ConclusionA 70-aa amino-terminal fragment of NS1 protein may be long enough for viral replication. The recombinant virus S-HALo/NS73 is a broad-spectrum live attenuated H5N1 avian influenza vaccine candidate in chickens.     

Cold-adapted X-31 live attenuated 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine elicits protective immune responses in mice and ferrets

The 2009 pandemic influenza H1N1 (pdmH1N1) is characterized by rapid transmission among humans and disproportionate infection to children and young adults. Although the pdmH1N1 demonstrated less lethality than initially expected and has now moved into its post-pandemic period, it remains highly possible that through antigenic shift or antigenic drift the pdmH1N1 might re-emerge in the future as a more virulent strain than before, underscoring the need for vaccination prior to an outbreak. Using X-31 ca as a backbone strain, we generated a live attenuated pdmH1N1 vaccine and evaluated its potential as a safe and effective vaccine using mouse and ferret models. Despite an acceptable level of attenuation phenotypes, single dose of immunization with the vaccine efficiently stimulated both systemic and mucosal antibody responses and provided complete protection against lethal challenge with wild type pdmH1N1 virus, even at the lowest immunization dose of 10³ PFU. The promising results of safety, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy of the vaccine not only contribute to expanding the repertoire of live vaccines as a judicious choice for pandemic H1N1 preparedness, but also suggest the great potential of X-31 ca donor strain to serve as reliable platform for generating diverse live vaccine constructs against seasonal influenza viruses and other pandemic strains.     

Efficacy of live attenuated vaccines against 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza in ferrets

The advent of the H1N1 influenza pandemic (pH1N1) in 2009 triggered the rapid production of pandemic influenza vaccines, since seasonal influenza vaccines were expected and demonstrated not to provide significant cross-protection against the newly emerged pandemic virus. To increase vaccine production capacity and further evaluate the effectiveness of different candidate pandemic influenza vaccines, the World Health Organization stimulated the evaluation of different vaccination concepts including the use of live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIVs). Therefore, we have immunized ferrets intranasally with a single dose of pH1N1-LAIV from different manufacturers. They all induced adequate serum HI antibody titers in the ferrets and protected them against intratracheal wild-type pH1N1 virus challenge: pH1N1 virus replication in the upper respiratory tract and lungs was reduced and no disease signs or severe broncho-interstitial pneumonia were observed in any of the vaccinated ferrets. These data together with the relatively efficient production process emphasize the potential of the LAIV concept for pandemic preparedness.     

Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of an elastase-dependent live attenuated swine influenza virus vaccine administered intranasally in pigs

Influenza A virus is an important respiratory pathogen of swine that causes significant morbidity and economic impact on the swine industry. Vaccination is the first choice for prevention and control of influenza infections. Live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV) are approved for use in humans and horses and their application provides broad protective immunity, however no LAIV against swine influenza virus (SIV) exists in the market. Previously we reported that an elastase-dependant mutant SIV A/Sw/Sk-R345V (R345V) derived from A/Sw/Saskatchewan/18789/02 (H1N1) (SIV/Sk02) is highly attenuated in pigs. Two intratracheal administrations of R345V induced strong cell-mediated and humoral immune responses and provided a high degree of protection to antigenically different SIV infection in pigs. Here we evaluated the immunogenicity and the protective efficacy of R345V against SIV infection by intranasal administration, the more practical route for vaccination of pigs in the field. Our data showed that intranasally administered R345V live vaccine is capable of inducing strong antigen-specific IFN-γ response from local tracheo-bronchial lymphocytes and antibody responses in serum and respiratory mucosa after two applications. Intranasal vaccination of R345V provided pigs with complete protection not only from parental wild type virus infection, but also from homologous antigenic variant A/Sw/Indiana/1726/88 (H1N1) infection. Moreover, intranasal administration of R345V conferred partial protection from heterologous subtypic H3N2 SIV infection in pigs. Thus, R345V elastase-dependent mutant SIV can serve as a live vaccine against antigenically different swine influenza viruses in pigs.     

Immunogenicity and efficacy comparison of MDCK cell-based and egg-based live attenuated influenza vaccines of H5 and H7 subtypes in ferrets

During a pandemic, the availability of specific pathogen free chicken eggs is a major bottleneck for up-scaling response to the demand for influenza vaccine. This has led us to explore the use of Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells for the manufacture of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) that provides production flexibility and speed. The present study reports the comparison of the immunogenicity and efficacy of two MDCK-based LAIVs against two egg-based LAIVs prepared from the same pandemic potential strains of H5 and H7 subtypes after a single dose of the vaccine followed by a challenge with a homologous wild type strain. The vaccine strains have been generated by classical method of reassortment using the A/Leningrad/134/17/57 master donor strain. Additionally, a prime-boost regimen of the MDCK-based vaccine followed by a challenge with a homologous wild type strain for H5 and H7 immunized ferrets and also a heterologous wild type strain for the H5 immunized animals was studied. No difference in the hemagglutination inhibition and virus neutralization antibody titers against the homologous virus was observed following a single dose of either egg-based or MDCK-based H5 and H7 LAIV vaccine. A second dose of MDCK-based vaccine significantly boosted antibody titers in the vaccinated animals. Both a single dose or two doses of LAIV provided complete protection from lower respiratory tract infection and resulted in a significant reduction in the virus titers recovered from the throat, nasal turbinates and lungs after challenge with the homologous wild type strain. Protection from a challenge with a heterologous strain of H5 was also observed after two doses of the MDCK-based LAIVs. This data strongly supports the use of MDCK as a substrate for the manufacture of LAIV which ensures reliable quality, safety, production flexibility, speed and breadth of protection, features that are highly critical during a pandemic.     

Protective efficacy in mice of monovalent and trivalent live attenuated influenza vaccines in the background of cold-adapted A/X-31 and B/Lee/40 donor strains

Influenza virus continues to take a heavy toll on human health and vaccination remains the mainstay of efforts to reduce the clinical impact imposed by viral infections. Proven successful for establishing live attenuated vaccine donor strains, cold-adapted live attenuated influenza vaccines (CAIVs) have become an attractive modality for controlling the virus infection. Previously, we developed the cold-adapted strains A/X-31 and B/Lee/40 as novel donor strains of CAIVs against influenza A and B viruses. In this study, we investigated the protective immune responses of both mono- and trivalent vaccine formulations in the mouse model. Two type A vaccines and one type B vaccine against A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1), A/Panama/2007/99 (H3N2), and B/Shangdong/7/97 in the background of the A/X-31 ca or B/Lee/40 ca were generated by a reassortment procedure and evaluated for their immunogenicity and protective efficacy. Each monovalent vaccine elicited high levels of serum antibodies and conferred complete protection against homologous wild type virus infection. As compared to the monovalent vaccines, trivalent formulation induced higher levels of type A-specific serum antibodies and slightly lower levels of type B-specific antibodies, suggesting an immunological synergism within type A viruses and an interference in the replication of type B virus. Relatively lower type B-specific immunogenicity in trivalent vaccine formulation could be effectively implemented by increasing the vaccine dose of influenza B virus. These results of immunogenicity, protection efficacy, and immunological synergism between type A vaccines provide an experimental basis for optimal composition of trivalent vaccines for subsequent developments of multivalent CAIVs against seasonal and pandemic influenza viruses.     

Inactivated and adjuvanted whole-virion clade 2.3.4 H5N1 pre-pandemic influenza vaccine possesses broad protective efficacy against infection by heterologous clades of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus in mice

In this study, we evaluated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a candidate attenuated H5N1 pre-pandemic influenza vaccine of clade 2.3.4, rgAnhui, which was reverse genetically generated from highly virulent A/Anhui/01/2005 (H5N1) wild-type virus. When a low-dose antigen (0.3 μg HA) vaccine was combined with aluminum hydroxide adjuvant, virus neutralization and anti-HA IgG antibodies induced in the sera of vaccinated mice showed similar levels as those in mice vaccinated with non-adjuvanted high-dose antigen (3 μg HA) vaccine. Serum antibodies had broad reactivity against highly pathogenic H5N1 viruses of both homologous and heterologous clades. All mice vaccinated with adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted rgAnhui vaccines at low and high antigen doses survived, without any significant weight loss, lethal challenge infection with homologous clade 2.3.4 viruses, including antigenic variant virus and heterologous clade 2.1.3. Mice vaccinated with low-dose antigen without adjuvant, however, exhibited 20% and 60% survival rates against clade 1 and clade 2.2 viruses, respectively; but, addition of adjuvant improved these rates to 80% and 100%, respectively. The data strongly suggest that aluminum hydroxide-adjuvanted rgAnhui vaccine can elicit broad cross-reactive and protective immunities against homologous and heterologous clades, and that the rgAnhui vaccine is a useful pre-pandemic H5N1 vaccine.     

2015年春季济南市活禽交易场所人感染高致病性禽流感传播风险评估

目的 评估2015年春季济南市城区农贸市场活禽交易场所人感染高致病性禽流感H5N1传播风险.方法 于2015年1-3月选择济南市5个城区作为调查现场,每个区随机抽取5～10个农贸市场的活禽交易摊位和活禽宰杀点进行调查,同时随机选择从业人员进行问卷调查,并选择活禽市场进行FluA、H5检测.通过现场调查、专家咨询(Delphi)法和多指标综合评分法构建风险评估模型,评估2015年春季济南市城区农贸市场活禽交易场所人感染H5N1传播风险.结果 2015年13月济南市城区活禽摊位外环境的禽流感病毒H5核酸阳性率为13.33％(30/225);农贸市场活禽交易场所人感染H5N1的传播风险值为0.2836,依据风险等级评估标准,属于低风险.结论 建议对济南市农贸市场活禽交易场所人感染高致病性禽流感H5N1进行低风险状况下的风险管理,并尽快制定和完善相应的卫生规范.     

Emergence of novel clade 2.3.4 influenza A (H5N1) virus subgroups in Yunnan Province,China

From December 2013 to March 2014, a major wave of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak occurred in poultry in Yunnan Province, China. We isolated and characterized eight highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses from poultry. Full genome influenza sequences and analyses have been performed.Sequence analyses revealed that they belonged to clade 2.3.4 but did not fit within the three defined subclades. The isolated viruses were provisional subclade 2.3.4.4e. The provisional subclade 2.3.4.4e viruses with six internal genes from avian influenza A (H5N2) viruses in 2013 were the novel reassortant influenza A (H5N1) viruses which were associated with the outbreak of H5N1 occurred in egg chicken farms in Yunnan Province. The HA genes were similar to subtype H5 viruses isolated from January to March of 2014 in Asia including H5N6 and H5N8. The NA genes were most closely related to A/chicken/Vietnam/NCVD-KA423/2013 (H5N1) from the subclade 2.3.2. The HI assay demonstrated a lack of antigenic relatedness between clades 2.3.4.4e and 2.3.4.1 (RE-5 vaccine strain) or 2.3.2.2 (RE-6 vaccine strain).     

Clinical testing of pre-pandemic live attenuated A/H5N2 influenza candidate vaccine in adult volunteers: Results from a placebo-controlled,randomized double-blind phase I study

BackgroundThis study describes a double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled phase I clinical trial of A/H5N2 live attenuated influenza vaccine in healthy volunteers.MethodsTwo doses of vaccine or placebo were administered intranasally to 30 and 10 subjects, respectively. Nasal swabs were examined for vaccine shedding and local antibody responses; serum samples were tested for binding, hemagglutinating and neutralizing antibodies and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were tested for cell-mediated immune responses.ResultsThe vaccine was well tolerated and not associated with increased rates of adverse events or the occurrence of serious adverse events. Influenza virus was detected in nasal swabs on the first day in the majority of volunteers (93%), while 17% of volunteers tested positive on the second, none on the third day or later following the first vaccination; lower frequency of shedding was observed after the second vaccination. The vaccine was immunogenic as assessed four weeks after the second dose, with 37.9% and 48.3% of subjects seroconverting by hemagglutination inhibition and neutralization assays, respectively. An immune response was observed in 96.6% subjects that received A/H5N2 LAIV in at least one of the assays conducted. None of the placebo recipients exhibited a response in any of the assays.ConclusionThe A/H5N2 vaccine was safe, well tolerated, and immunogenic in healthy adults.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01719783     

Characterization of thermostable Newcastle disease virus recombinants expressing the hemagglutinin of H5N1 avian influenza virus as bivalent vaccine candidates

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has been used as a vector in the development of vaccines and gene delivery. In the present study, we generated the thermostable recombinant NDV (rNDV) expressing the different forms of hemagglutinin (HA) of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 based on the full-length cDNA clone of thermostable TS09-C strain. The recombinant thermostable Newcastle disease viruses, rTS-HA, rTS-HA1 and rTS-tPAs/HA1, expressed the HA, HA1 or modified HA1 protein with the tissue plasminogen activator signal sequence (tPAs), respectively. The rNDVs displayed similar thermostability, growth kinetics and pathogenicity compared with the parental TS09-C virus. The tPAs facilitated the expression and secretion of HA1 protein in cells infected with rNDV. Animal studies demonstrated that immunization with rNDVs elicited effective H5N1- and NDV-specific antibody responses and conferred immune protection against lethal H5N1 and NDV challenges in chickens and mice. Importantly, vaccination of rTS-tPAs/HA1 resulted in enhanced protective immunity in chickens and mice. Our study thus provides a novel thermostable NDV-vectored vaccine candidate expressing a soluble form of a heterologous viral protein, which will greatly aid the poultry industry in developing countries.     

H7N3 live attenuated influenza vaccine has a potential to protect against new H7N9 avian influenza virus

After recent emergence of new avian influenza A(H7N9) viruses in humans many people and Governments are asking about H7 influenza vaccine which could provide cross-protection against new viruses, until H7N9 vaccine is prepared from a relevant strain. Here we scientifically justify that available H7N3 live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) can be protective against H7N9 viruses due to the presence of conserved immune epitopes in its hemagglutinin. We used Immune Epitope Database analysis resource to predict B-cell and CTL epitopes distributed across H7N3 HA molecule and assessed their identity with new H7N9 viruses at near 70% and 60% of the epitopes, respectively. In addition, we tested serum samples of volunteers participated in phase I clinical trial of H7N3 LAIV for the presence of anti-H7N9 hemagglutination-inhibition and neutralizing antibodies and found seroconversions in 44.8% of vaccinated persons, which suggests the potential of H7N3 LAIV to protect against new H7N9 avian influenza viruses.     

Efficacy of clade 2.3.2 H5 commercial vaccines in protecting chickens from clade 2.3.4.4 H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza infection

Emerging clade 2.3.4.4 of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus strain H5N8, which had been detected sporadically in domestic poultry in China, started to affect wild birds and poultry in South Korea in 2014. The virus was spread to Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and even United States by migratory birds. Here, we tested currently used commercial clade 2.3.2 H5 vaccines to evaluate mortality, clinical signs, virus shedding, and histological damage after experimental infection of chickens with the clade 2.3.4.4 HPAI H5N8 virus. Although the vaccination protected chickens from death, it failed to prevent chickens from shedding the virus and from tissue damage according to histological examination. These results suggest that the use of appropriate vaccines that match the currently epidemic HPAI virus is recommended, and continuous HPAI surveillance and testing of currently used commercial vaccines should be performed.     

NS-based live attenuated H1N1 pandemic vaccines protect mice and ferrets

Although vaccines against influenza A virus are the most effective method to combat infection, it is clear that their production needs to be accelerated and their efficacy improved. We generated live attenuated human influenza A vaccines (LAIVs) by rationally engineering mutations directly into the genome of a pandemic-H1N1 virus. Two LAIVs (NS1-73 and NS1-126) were based on the success of LAIVs for animal influenza A viruses. A third candidate (NSΔ5) is a unique NS-mutant that has never been used as a LAIV. The vaccine potential of each LAIV was determined through analysis of attenuation, interferon production, immunogenicity, and their ability to protect mice and ferrets. This study demonstrates that NSΔ5 is an ideal LAIV candidate, provides important information on the effects that different NS mutations have on the pandemic-H1N1 virus and shows that LAIVs can be engineered directly from the genomes of emerging/circulating influenza A viruses.     

Experimental infection of cattle with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1)

Four calves were experimentally inoculated with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus A/cat/Germany/R606/2006 (H5N1) isolated from a cat in 2006. All calves remained healthy, but several animals shed low amounts of virus, detected by inoculation of nasal swab fluid into embryonated chicken eggs and onto MDCK cells. All calves seroconverted.     

Toxicological evaluation of live attenuated, cold-adapted H5N1 vaccines in ferrets

Live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV) have several attributes related to safety, immunogenicity, cross-protection against antigenic drift strains, high yield and needle-free administration that make them attractive candidates for control of pandemic influenza. H5N1 LAIV vaccine candidates are attenuated in ferrets, chickens and mice. These vaccine candidates were further characterized in the ferret model to evaluate their toxicity at doses comparable to seasonal LAIV and at doses up to 100-fold higher. The results demonstrated that H5N1 LAIV, even when administered at high doses, is restricted in replication in the lower respiratory tract of ferrets. However, intranasal administration of 0.5 mL can result in deposition of H5N1 LAIV in the ferret lung, where it induces a pulmonary inflammatory response in the absence of significant local replication of the vaccine virus. Thus, smaller vaccine dose volumes should be considered for evaluation of LAIV in animal models.     

An open label Phase I trial of a live attenuated H6N1 influenza virus vaccine in healthy adults

Background

We describe the results of an open label Phase I trial of a live attenuated H6N1 influenza virus vaccine (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00734175).

Methods and findings

We evaluated the safety, infectivity, and immunogenicity of two doses of 10⁷ TCID₅₀ of the H6N1 Teal HK 97/AA ca vaccine, a cold-adapted and temperature sensitive live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) in healthy seronegative adults.Twenty-two participants received the first dose of the vaccine, and 18 received the second dose of vaccine 4 weeks later. The vaccine had a safety profile similar to that of other investigational LAIVs bearing avian hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes. The vaccine was highly restricted in replication: two participants had virus detectable by rRT-PCR beyond day 1 after each dose. Antibody responses to the vaccine were also restricted: 43% of participants developed a serum antibody response as measured by any assay: 5% by hemagglutination-inhibition assay, 5% by microneutralization assay, 29% by ELISA for H6 HA-specific IgG and 24% by ELISA for H6 HA specific IgA after either 1 or 2 doses. Following the second dose, vaccine specific IgG and IgA secreting cells as measured by ELISPOT increased from a mean of 0.6 to 9.2/10⁶ PBMCs and from 0.2 to 2.2/10⁶ PBMCs, respectively.

Conclusion

The H6N1 LAIV had a safety profile similar to that of LAIV bearing other HA and NA genes, but was highly restricted in replication in healthy seronegative adults. The H6N1 LAIV was also not as immunogenic as the seasonal LAIV.     

Evaluation of replication, immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a live attenuated cold-adapted pandemic H1N1 influenza virus vaccine in non-human primates

We studied the replication of influenza A/California/07/09 (H1N1) wild type (CA09wt) virus in two non-human primate species and used one of these models to evaluate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a live attenuated cold-adapted vaccine, which contains the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase from the H1N1 wild type (wt) virus and six internal protein gene segments of the A/Ann Arbor/6/60 cold-adapted (ca) master donor virus. We infected African green monkeys (AGMs) and rhesus macaques with 2×10(6) TCID(50) of CA09wt and CA09ca influenza viruses. The virus CA09wt replicated in the upper respiratory tract of all animals but the titers in upper respiratory tract tissues of rhesus macaques were significant higher than in AGMs (mean peak titers 10(4.5) TCID(50)/g and 10(2.0) TCID(50)/g on days 4 and 2 post-infection, respectively; p<0.01). Virus replication was observed in the lungs of all rhesus macaques (10(2.0)-10(5.4) TCID(50)/g) whereas only 2 out of 4 AGMs had virus recovered from the lungs (10(2.5)-10(3.5) TCID(50)/g). The CA09ca vaccine virus was attenuated and highly restricted in replication in both AGMs and rhesus macaques. We evaluated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the CA09ca vaccine in rhesus macaques because CA09wt virus replicated more efficiently in this species. One or two doses of vaccine were administered intranasally and intratracheally to rhesus macaques. For the two-dose group, the vaccine was administered 4-weeks apart. Immunogenicity was assessed by measuring hemagglutination-inhibiting (HAI) antibodies in the serum and specific IgA antibodies to CA09wt virus in the nasal wash. One or two doses of the vaccine elicited a significant rise in HAI titers (range 40-320). Two doses of CA09ca elicited higher pH1N1-specific IgA titers than in the mock-immunized group (p<0.01). Vaccine efficacy was assessed by comparing titers of CA09wt challenge virus in the respiratory tract of mock-immunized and CA09ca vaccinated monkeys. Significantly lower virus titers were observed in the lungs of vaccinated animals than mock-immunized animals (p≤0.01). Our results demonstrate that AGMs and rhesus macaques support the replication of pandemic H1N1 influenza virus to different degrees and a cold-adapted pH1N1 vaccine elicits protective immunity against pH1N1 virus infection in rhesus macaques.     

Safety,immunogenicity and efficacy of poxvirus-based vector vaccines expressing the haemagglutinin gene of a highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus in pigs

This study investigates the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of different pox-vector vaccines expressing the haemagglutinin of a highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1 avian influenza virus (AIV) (A/chicken/Indonesia/7/03) in pigs. Pigs were vaccinated twice, with a 4-week interval, with a fowlpox (TROVAC^®), a canarypox (ALVAC^®), or a vaccinia (NYVAC) vector vaccine combined with an oil-in-water adjuvant, with the unadjuvanted NYVAC, or left unvaccinated. Six weeks after the second vaccination, all pigs were challenged intra-tracheally with low pathogenic (LP) H5N2 AIV A/chicken/Belgium/150/99. Sera were examined in haemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests against the H5N1 AIV from which the vaccine haemagglutinin derived, the challenge virus and the human A/Vietnam/1194/04 HPAIV. After challenge pigs were compared for H5N2 virus replication in the trachea and 4 lung lobes at 24 or 72 h post-challenge. Vaccination was well tolerated by all animals. Antibody titres peaked 2 weeks after the second vaccination and were 2- to 4-fold higher against the vaccine virus than heterologous H5 viruses. The NYVAC and ALVAC adjuvanted vaccines consistently induced higher antibody titres than TROVAC or NYVAC without adjuvant. Following challenge, the H5N2 challenge virus was isolated from all unvaccinated pigs, while 19 out of 21 vaccinates showed complete virological protection. Pox-vector vaccines were safe, immunogenic and efficacious against challenge with a heterologous H5 AIV, offering an alternative to classical inactivated vaccines. It remains to be seen whether they would protect against a swine-adapted H5 virus, which may replicate 100–1000 times better than our challenge virus.