BACKGROUND The efficacy of current influenza vaccines is limited in vulnerable populations. DNA vaccines can be produced rapidly, and may offer a potential strategy to improve vaccine immunogenicity, indicated by studies with H5 influenza DNA vaccine prime followed by inactivated vaccine boost. METHODS Four sites enrolled healthy adults, randomized to receive 2011/12 seasonal influenza DNA va...

BACKGROUND Overall pandemic A (H1N1) influenza vaccination rates remain low across all nations, including Japan. To increase the rates, it is important to understand the motives and barriers for the acceptance of the vaccine. We conducted this study to determine potential predictors of the uptake of A (H1N1) influenza vaccine in a cohort of Japanese general population. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL F...

Trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness during the 2015 season in South Africa was assessed using a test-negative case control study design. Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was the dominant circulating strain. Overall influenza vaccine coverage was 3.2% (29/899). The vaccine effectiveness estimate, against any influenza virus infection, adjusted for age, underlying conditions and timing withi...

BACKGROUND There are limited data about the effect of maternal influenza infection on fetuses and newborns. We performed a secondary analysis of data from the Mother's Gift project, a randomized study designed to test the effectiveness of inactivated influenza and pneumococcal vaccines during pregnancy. METHODS In the Mother's Gift project, 340 pregnant women in Bangladesh received either ina...

INTRODUCTION Previous studies investigating determinants of 2009 (H1N1) pandemic influenza vaccine acceptance have focused on target groups such as healthcare workers. Few studies in the European Union have examined the self-reported reasons as well as predictive socio-demographic and health factors for pandemic influenza vaccine acceptance in the general population, even though influenza vacci...

The purpose of this statement is to update recommendations for routine use of trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine and antiviral medications for the prevention and treatment of influenza in children. The key points for the upcoming 2012-2013 season are: (1) this year's trivalent influenza vaccine contains A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like antigen (derived from influenza A [H1N1] pdm09 [pH1N1] vir...

Influenza causes substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide each year. Healthcare-associated influenza is a frequent event. Health care personnel (HCP) may be the source for infecting patients and may propagate nosocomial outbreaks. All HCP should receive a dose of influenza vaccine each year to protect themselves and others. This commentary will discuss the study recently published in the I...

BACKGROUND High-dose trivalent influenza vaccine was developed to improve antibody responses to influenza vaccine in the elderly and hence potentially impact favorably on influenza-associated morbidity and mortality in this population. METHODS A phase IIIb, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was conducted to compare High-Dose (HD) trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (...

BACKGROUND Physicians play a major role in influencing acceptance and uptake of vaccines. However, little is known about physicians' perspectives on influenza vaccination of pregnant women in Thailand, for whom vaccine coverage is estimated at <1%. METHOD In 2013, a self-administered questionnaire on physicians' perceptions, attitudes and practices related to influenza vaccination for pregnan...

BACKGROUND Southeast Asia is a region with great potential for the emergence of a pandemic influenza virus. Global efforts to improve influenza surveillance in this region have documented the burden and seasonality of influenza viruses and have informed influenza prevention strategies, but little information exists about influenza vaccination guidelines and vaccine sales. METHODS To ascertain...