OBJECTIVES To evaluate the total burden of influenza among healthy children in the community in order to analyse the cost of influenza in paediatric age. METHODS This prospective study involved a total community population of 21,986 children, 6988 of whom experienced an influenza-like illness (ILI) between 1 November 2008 and 30 April 2009. An electronic chart was completed, a nasopharyngeal ...

Background and Aims: Influenza vaccination is one of the best way to prevent and control influenza worldwide. It is manufactured by WHO-licensed companies based on the WHO expertise committee annually. The aim of this study was partial quality control of the commercial human influenza vaccine 2008-9 and its matching with the circulating strains. Materials and Methods: The trivalent imported vac...

This report updates the 2012 recommendations by CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) regarding the use of influenza vaccines for the prevention and control of seasonal influenza (CDC. Prevention and control of influenza with vaccines: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices [ACIP]. MMWR 2012;61:613-8). Routine annual influenza vaccination is reco...

BACKGROUND Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cause substantial mortality from respiratory and other causes in the USA, especially among people aged 65 and older. OBJECTIVES We estimated the influenza-attributable mortality and RSV-attributable mortality in the USA, stratified by age and risk status, using outcome definitions with different sensitivity and specificity. METHODS ...

The emergence of pandemic influenza viruses poses a major public health threat. Therefore, there is a need for a vaccine that can induce broadly cross-reactive antibodies that protect against seasonal as well as pandemic influenza strains. Human broadly neutralizing antibodies directed against highly conserved epitopes in the stem region of influenza virus HA have been recently characterized. H...

Co-circulation of two influenza B virus lineages, B/Yamagata and B/Victoria, has been recognized since the late 1980s. The assessment of the prevalent lineage and the group of viruses in circulation is of importance in order to decide on the vaccine composition and evaluate its efficacy. The molecular characterization of influenza B viruses in circulation has been the aim of this study; this wa...

In 1996 data from laboratories, general practitioners and a national employer were combined to detect trends in influenza activity in Australia. An epidemic of influenza A (H3N2) was recorded. Little influenza B activity was noted throughout the winter months, however the number of laboratory reports of influenza B rose in the last quarter of the year. Influenza activity was reflected in the co...

Influenza B viruses fall in two antigenically distinct lineages (B/Victoria/2/1987 and B/Yamagata/16/1988 lineage) that co-circulate with influenza A viruses of the H3N2 and H1N1 subtypes during seasonal epidemics. Infections with influenza B viruses contribute considerably to morbidity and mortality in the human population. Influenza B virus neutralizing antibodies, elicited by natural infecti...

The effectiveness of the 2012/13 trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine (TIV) was assessed using a test-negative case-control study of patients consulting primary care with influenza-like illness in the United Kingdom. Strain characterisation was undertaken on selected isolates. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) against confirmed influenza A(H3N2), A(H1N1) and B virus infection, adjusted for age, sex, s...

We evaluated the effectiveness of the 2010-2011 seasonal influenza vaccine for preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza in a South Korean population. A retrospective case-control study was conducted among patients who visited selected hospitals from September 2010 to May 2011. A total of 483 laboratory-confirmed influenza patients were included in the analysis as case subjects. For each case p...