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The side-effect of nonvirion admixtures in inactivated influenza vaccines has been experimentally studied. The minimal sensitizing dose of allantoic admixtures other than ovalbumin has been experimentally determined in vivo. This dose has proved to be 4 times higher than the sensitizing dose of ovalbumin. The presence of sharply defined correlations between the concentration of the admixtures contained in inactivated influenza vaccines, the titers of antibodies to these admixtures and the severity of anaphylactic reactions has been established in guinea pigs after their multiple immunization.

Admixtures of free antigens have been shown to play the main role in the anaphylactogenic danger of vaccines. The immunogenic and anaphylactogenic action of such antigenic admixtures in corpuscular influenza vaccine can be observed after the immunization of animals in 2 or 3 injections. Host antigens incorporated into viral particles induce no anaphylactic reaction in guinea pigs after their immunization in 3 injections.

Rooster monospecific sera to influenza virus hemagglutinin free from antibodies to the host (chick embryo) admixture components were prepared and satisfactorily used in radial immunodiffusion test for control of the levels of hemagglutinin in influenza vaccines. The indirect hemagglutination test with erythrocytic antibody diagnosticum has been proposed for the detection of low ovalbumin concentrations. The sensitivity of this method is less than 0.003 micrograms/ml ovalbumin which significantly surpasses other currently accepted methods for control of this component in inactivated influenza vaccines. Immunochemical methods established the presence in influenza vaccines of other "nonovalbumin" multicomponent admixtures. Their sensitizing activity was characterized and found to be 4-5 times weaker than that of ovalbumin.

Corpuscular influenza vaccines have been found to contain chick embryo antigens differing from ovalbumin in their antigenic, immunogenic, and allergenic properties. The study has revealed that host antigens are present in vaccines in the form of free contaminants and as substances incorporated into viruses. The vaccine prepared by the method of sorption-elution on red blood cells with subsequent gel chromatography is characterized by the highest antigenic purity.

Two immunoaffinity chromatographic methods for the purification of corpuscular influenza vaccine from the admixture of chick embryo components have been examined. The isolation of the virus on immobilized antiviral antibodies has proved to be unsuitable for preparative purposes. The method for the purification of the vaccine from ovalbumin with the use of immobilized anti-ovalbumin antibodies has proved to be highly effective. When introduced into guinea pigs in 3 injections, the vaccine purified by immunosorption has been found to produce no anaphylactic reactions.