Influenza Vaccine in Preventing Flu in Patients Who Have Undergone Stem Cell Transplant and in Healthy Volunteers
Influenza Vaccine in Preventing Flu in Patients Who Have Undergone Stem Cell Transplant and in Healthy Volunteers
RATIONALE: The influenza vaccine may help prevent flu in patients who have undergone stem
 cell transplant.

 PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well the influenza vaccine works in preventing
 flu in patients who have undergone stem cell transplant and in healthy volunteers.
OBJECTIVES:

 -  To examine the incidence rate of influenza infection over two flu seasons in patients
 who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at the City of Hope National
 Medical Center.

 -  To correlate influenza infection with graft-vs-host disease, age, and transplant type in
 these patients.

 -  To examine and compare the incidence rate of influenza in healthy volunteers to the
 incidence rate in these patients.

 OUTLINE: Beginning approximately 2 weeks after vaccination or the onset of flu season,
 patients and healthy participants undergo nasopharyngeal washes every 14-17 days (2-10
 washes) during the months of November-March of the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 flu seasons.
 Samples are analyzed by direct fluorescent antibodies.

 Patients and participants complete case report forms detailing flu-like symptoms experienced
 in the 2 weeks before sample collection.

 PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 150 patients and 75 healthy volunteers will be accrued for this
 study.
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

 -  Meets 1 of the following:

 -  Patient at City of Hope or Kaiser hospital who underwent prior autologous or
 allogeneic matched-related hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) or
 matched-unrelated HSCT for treatment of hematological malignancies, including
 aplastic anemia or myelodysplastic syndromes

 -  Must agree to return to City of Hope for screening every 2-4 weeks during
 the flu season

 -  100-365 days post-transplant

 -  Any prior therapy allowed

 -  Employee volunteer from the City of Hope who agrees to have a nasopharyngeal wash
 performed at General Clinical Research Center every 2 weeks during the flu season

 -  Must be eligible (per physicians instructions) and vaccinated during the 2008-2009 or
 2009-2010 flu season

 PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

 -  Life expectancy > 9 months

 PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

 -  See Disease Characteristics