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Ye Q, Liu H, Mao J, Shu Q. Nonpharmaceutical interventions for COVID-19 disrupt the dynamic balance between influenza A virus and human immunity. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28292. [PMID: 36367115 PMCID: PMC9877879 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
During the COVID-19 epidemic, nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) blocked the transmission route of respiratory diseases. This study aimed to investigate the impact of NPIs on the influenza A virus (IAV) outbreak. The present study enrolled all children with respiratory tract infections who came to the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University between January 2019 and July 2022. A direct immunofluorescence assay kit detected IAV. Virus isolation and Sanger sequencing were performed. From June to July 2022, in Hangzhou, China, the positive rate of IAV infection in children has increased rapidly, reaching 30.41%, and children over 3 years old are the main infected population, accounting for 75% of the total number of infected children. Influenza A (H3N2) viruses are representative strains during this period. In this outbreak, H3N2 was isolated from a cluster of its own and is highly homologous with A/South_Dakota/22/2022 (2021-2022 Northern Hemisphere). Between isolated influenza A (H3N2) viruses and A/South_Dakota/22/2022, the nucleotide homology of the HA gene ranged from 97.3% to 97.5%; the amino acid homology was 97%-97.2%, and the genetic distance of nucleotides ranged from 0.05 to 0.052. Compared with A/South_Dakota/22/2022, the isolated H3N2 showed S156H, N159Y, I160T, D186S, S198P, I48T, S53D, and K171N mutations. There was no variation in 13 key amino acid sites associated with neuraminidase inhibitor resistance in NA protein. Long-term NPIs have significantly affected the evolution and transmission of the influenza virus and human immunity, breaking the dynamic balance between the IAV and human immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Ye
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child HealthNational Children's Regional Medical CenterHangzhouChina
| | - Huihui Liu
- Department of Nephrology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child HealthNational Children's Regional Medical CenterHangzhouChina
| | - Jianhua Mao
- Department of Nephrology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child HealthNational Children's Regional Medical CenterHangzhouChina
| | - Qiang Shu
- Department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child HealthNational Children's Regional Medical CenterHangzhouChina
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2
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Jiang B, Wang Z, Jia M, Yan H, Su Z, Liu S, Yang W, Qiao YL, Feng L. Awareness, knowledge and attitude toward influenza vaccination in several population groups in China: A cross-sectional study. Front Public Health 2022; 10:950532. [PMID: 36330121 PMCID: PMC9624296 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.950532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background We aimed to comprehensively analyze awareness, knowledge and attitude toward influenza vaccine and the factors associated to vaccine acceptance among the young and middle-aged general population, healthcare workers, and health-related administrators in China. The factors influencing the promotion of influenza vaccination were also evaluated among healthcare workers and administrators. Methods This is a multicenter, cross-sectional study. General population adults, healthcare workers (HCWs), and health administrators were enrolled in seven regions across China during the 2020-2021 flu season. Data were collected via an online questionnaire, which included information request as to awareness, knowledge, and attitude toward influenza vaccination. Statistical significance set at p-values < 0.05. Results A total of 3,239 individuals were included in our analyses. There were gaps in consciousness to action, especially between awareness (87.1%) and knowledge (57.7%), and between willingness (57.3%) and vaccination (22.3%). The downward trends were similar in all three groups. HCW group and the health administrator group showed more positive propensity to accept influenza vaccines than the general population group. For the general population group, those with a lower educational level (lower than a bachelor's degree) were less likely to be vaccinated (aOR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.45-0.96). For the HCW group, practitioners older than 45 years were more reluctant to be vaccinated than those under 25 years (aOR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.19-0.86). For the health administrator group, personnel aged 26 years and above were less inclined to be vaccinated (aORs = 0.17-0.20). In all groups, people who had received influenza vaccines in the past 5 years (aOR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.31-2.26 in general population group, 13.05, 95% CI: 7.71-22.10 in HCW group, and 19.30, 95% CI: 9.66-42.63 in health administrator group) were more likely to be vaccinated in future seasons. People who were not covered by the free program or those without awareness of the related programs were less likely to be vaccinated (aORs < 0.63). Most (70.8%) of HCWs showed intention to recommend the influenza vaccine. Clinical doctors, those who had flu shots themselves, and those who had more knowledge, were more like to make recommendations. Health administrators stated that insufficient budget resources and workforce, and low public awareness are main difficulties in the promotion of influenza vaccine. Conclusion The influencing factors of the attitude toward influenza vaccination vary across populations. Governments need to carry out focused vaccination promotion programs, especially for healthcare workers, to improve the coverage of influenza vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binshan Jiang
- School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenzhong Wang
- School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Mengmeng Jia
- School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Mengmeng Jia
| | - Huijiao Yan
- School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zheng Su
- National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shujun Liu
- National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Weizhong Yang
- School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - You-lin Qiao
- School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Luzhao Feng
- School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China,Luzhao Feng
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Buckrell S, Ben Moussa M, Bui T, Rahal A, Schmidt K, Lee L, Bastien N, Bancej C. National Influenza Annual Report, Canada, 2021-2022: A brief, late influenza epidemic. CANADA COMMUNICABLE DISEASE REPORT = RELEVE DES MALADIES TRANSMISSIBLES AU CANADA 2022; 48:473-483. [PMID: 38125392 PMCID: PMC10730107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Canadian seasonal influenza circulation had been suppressed since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This suppression was reported globally and generated concern that the return of community influenza circulation could be intense and that co-circulation of influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was possible and potentially severe. Community circulation of influenza returned to Canada during the 2021-2022 influenza season. The influenza epidemic began in week 16 (mid-April 2022) and lasted only nine weeks. This epidemic was driven by influenza A(H3N2) and was exceptionally late in the season, low in intensity and short in length. Community co-circulation of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 was observed in Canada for the first time during the 2021-2022 seasonal influenza epidemic. The unusual characteristics of the 2021-2022 influenza epidemic suggest that a breadth of factors moderate transmission dynamics of the two viruses. Concerns of an intense seasonal influenza epidemic did not come to fruition during the 2021-2022 season; therefore, high influenza susceptibility remains, as does predisposition to larger influenza epidemics. Ongoing circulation of SARS-CoV-2 creates uncertainty about dynamics of future influenza epidemics, but influenza vaccination remains a key public health intervention available to protect Canadians. Public health authorities need to remain vigilant, maintain surveillance and continue to plan for both heightened seasonal influenza circulation and for the potential for endemic co-circulation of influenza and SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Buckrell
- Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON
| | - Myriam Ben Moussa
- Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON
| | - Tammy Bui
- Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON
| | - Abbas Rahal
- Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON
| | - Kara Schmidt
- Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON
| | - Liza Lee
- Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON
| | - Nathalie Bastien
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB
| | - Christina Bancej
- Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON
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4
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Xie R, Adam DC, Edwards KM, Gurung S, Wei X, Cowling BJ, Dhanasekaran V. Genomic Epidemiology of Seasonal Influenza Circulation in China During Prolonged Border Closure from 2020 to 2021. Virus Evol 2022; 8:veac062. [PMID: 35919872 PMCID: PMC9338706 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veac062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
China experienced a resurgence of seasonal influenza activity throughout 2021 despite intermittent control measures and prolonged international border closure. We show genomic evidence for multiple A(H3N2), A(H1N1), and B/Victoria transmission lineages circulating over 3 years, with the 2021 resurgence mainly driven by two B/Victoria clades. Phylodynamic analysis revealed unsampled ancestry prior to widespread outbreaks in December 2020, showing that influenza lineages can circulate cryptically under non-pharmaceutical interventions enacted against COVID-19. Novel haemagglutinin gene mutations and altered age profiles of infected individuals were observed, and Jiangxi province was identified as a major source for nationwide outbreaks. Following major holiday periods, fluctuations in the effective reproduction number were observed, underscoring the importance of influenza vaccination prior to holiday periods or travel. Extensive heterogeneity in seasonal influenza circulation patterns in China determined by historical strain circulation indicates that a better understanding of demographic patterns is needed for improving effective controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruopeng Xie
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China
| | - Dillon C Adam
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China
| | - Kimberly M Edwards
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China
| | - Shreya Gurung
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaoman Wei
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China
| | - Benjamin J Cowling
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China
| | - Vijaykrishna Dhanasekaran
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China
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Thompson R, Wood JG, Tempia S, Muscatello DJ. Global variation in early epidemic growth rates and reproduction number of seasonal influenza. Int J Infect Dis 2022; 122:382-388. [PMID: 35718299 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Little is known about global variation in early epidemic growth rates and effective reproduction numbers (Re) of seasonal influenza. We aimed to estimate global variation in Re of influenza type A and B during a single period. METHODS Country influenza detection time series from September 2017 through January 2019 were obtained from an international database. Type A and B epidemics by country were selected based on Re estimates for a five-week moving window advanced by week. Associations of Re with absolute latitude, Human Development Index, percent of the population aged <15 years and percent living rurally in each country were assessed. RESULTS Time series were included for 119 of 169 available countries. There were 100 countries with influenza A and 79 with B epidemics. Median Re for both influenza A and B epidemics was 1.23 (ranges: A 1.10, 1.60; B 1.06, 1.58). Re of influenza B, but not A, was independently associated with absolute latitude, increasing by 0.022 (95% CI 0.002, 0.043) per 10 degrees. CONCLUSIONS Re of influenza A and B were similar. Only Re of influenza B was associated with country characteristics; increasing with distance from the equator. The approach may be suitable for continuous Re surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Thompson
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Australia; School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - J G Wood
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Australia; School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - S Tempia
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South Africa; School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - D J Muscatello
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Australia; School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Australia.
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Domenech de Cellès M, Wong A, Andrea Barrero Guevara L, Rohani P. Immunological heterogeneity informs estimation of the durability of vaccine protection. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20220070. [PMID: 35611620 PMCID: PMC9131131 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Deciphering the properties of vaccines against an emerging pathogen is essential for optimizing immunization strategies. Early after vaccine roll-out, however, uncertainties about vaccine immunity raise the question of how much time is needed to estimate these properties, particularly the durability of vaccine protection. Here we designed a simulation study, based on a generic transmission model of vaccination, to simulate the impact of a breadth of vaccines with different mean (range: 10 months-2 years) and variability (coefficient of variation range: 50-100%) of the duration of protection. Focusing on the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in the year after start of mass immunization in Germany as a case study, we then assessed how confidently the duration of protection could be estimated under a range of epidemiological scenarios. We found that lower mean and higher heterogeneity facilitated estimation of the duration of vaccine protection. Across the vaccines tested, rapid waning and high heterogeneity permitted complete identification of the duration of protection; by contrast, slow waning and low heterogeneity allowed only estimation of the fraction of vaccinees with rapid loss of immunity. These findings suggest that limited epidemiological data can inform the duration of vaccine immunity. More generally, they highlight the need to carefully consider immunological heterogeneity when designing transmission models to evaluate vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anabelle Wong
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology group, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Public Health, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Laura Andrea Barrero Guevara
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology group, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Public Health, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Pejman Rohani
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Center for Influenza Disease & Emergence Research (CIDER), University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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7
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Human seasonal influenza under COVID-19 and the potential consequences of influenza lineage elimination. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1721. [PMID: 35361789 PMCID: PMC8971476 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29402-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Annual epidemics of seasonal influenza cause hundreds of thousands of deaths, high levels of morbidity, and substantial economic loss. Yet, global influenza circulation has been heavily suppressed by public health measures and travel restrictions since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, the influenza B/Yamagata lineage has not been conclusively detected since April 2020, and A(H3N2), A(H1N1), and B/Victoria viruses have since circulated with considerably less genetic diversity. Travel restrictions have largely confined regional outbreaks of A(H3N2) to South and Southeast Asia, B/Victoria to China, and A(H1N1) to West Africa. Seasonal influenza transmission lineages continue to perish globally, except in these select hotspots, which will likely seed future epidemics. Waning population immunity and sporadic case detection will further challenge influenza vaccine strain selection and epidemic control. We offer a perspective on the potential short- and long-term evolutionary dynamics of seasonal influenza and discuss potential consequences and mitigation strategies as global travel gradually returns to pre-pandemic levels. COVID-19 control measures have suppressed circulation of other infections including influenza. Here, the authors analyse WHO global influenza sequence and case report data and describe changes in the phylogenetic and geographic distribution of influenza lineages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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8
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Lee K, Jalal H, Raviotta JM, Krauland MG, Zimmerman RK, Burke DS, Roberts MS. Estimating the Impact of Low Influenza Activity in 2020 on Population Immunity and Future Influenza Seasons in the United States. Open Forum Infect Dis 2022; 9:ofab607. [PMID: 35024374 PMCID: PMC8743127 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofab607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Influenza activity in the 2020-2021 season was remarkably low, likely due to implementation of public health preventive measures such as social distancing, mask wearing, and school closure. With waning immunity, the impact of low influenza activity in the 2020-2021 season on the following season is unknown. METHODS We built a multistrain compartmental model that captures immunity over multiple influenza seasons in the United States. Compared with the counterfactual case, where influenza activity remained at the normal level in 2020-2021, we estimated the change in the number of hospitalizations when the transmission rate was decreased by 20% in 2020-2021. We varied the level of vaccine uptake and effectiveness in 2021-2022. We measured the change in population immunity over time by varying the number of seasons with lowered influenza activity. RESULTS With the lowered influenza activity in 2020-2021, the model estimated 102 000 (95% CI, 57 000-152 000) additional hospitalizations in 2021-2022, without changes in vaccine uptake and effectiveness. The estimated changes in hospitalizations varied depending on the level of vaccine uptake and effectiveness in the following year. Achieving a 50% increase in vaccine coverage was necessary to avert the expected increase in hospitalization in the next influenza season. If the low influenza activity were to continue over several seasons, population immunity would remain low during those seasons, with 48% of the population susceptible to influenza infection. CONCLUSIONS Our study projected a large compensatory influenza season in 2021-2022 due to a light season in 2020-2021. However, higher influenza vaccine uptake would reduce this projected increase in influenza.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyueun Lee
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Public Health Dynamics Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hawre Jalal
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Public Health Dynamics Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jonathan M Raviotta
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mary G Krauland
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Public Health Dynamics Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Richard K Zimmerman
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Donald S Burke
- Public Health Dynamics Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mark S Roberts
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Public Health Dynamics Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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BOCCALINI SARA, PARIANI ELENA, CALABRÒ GIOVANNAELISA, DE WAURE CHIARA, PANATTO DONATELLA, AMICIZIA DANIELA, LAI PIEROLUIGI, RIZZO CATERINA, AMODIO EMANUELE, VITALE FRANCESCO, CASUCCIO ALESSANDRA, DI PIETRO MARIALUISA, GALLI CRISTINA, BUBBA LAURA, PELLEGRINELLI LAURA, VILLANI LEONARDO, D’AMBROSIO FLORIANA, CAMINITI MARTA, LORENZINI ELISA, FIORETTI PAOLA, MICALE ROSANNATINDARA, FRUMENTO DAVIDE, CANTOVA ELISA, PARENTE FLAVIO, TRENTO GIACOMO, SOTTILE SARA, PUGLIESE ANDREA, BIAMONTE MASSIMILIANOALBERTO, GIORGETTI DUCCIO, MENICACCI MARCO, D’ANNA ANTONIO, AMMOSCATO CLAUDIA, LA GATTA EMANUELE, BECHINI ANGELA, BONANNI PAOLO. [Health Technology Assessment (HTA) of the introduction of influenza vaccination for Italian children with Fluenz Tetra ®]. JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND HYGIENE 2021; 62:E1-E118. [PMID: 34909481 PMCID: PMC8639053 DOI: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2021.62.2s1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- SARA BOCCALINI
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
- Autore corrispondente: Sara Boccalini, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Firenze, 50134 Firenze, Italia - Tel.: 055-2751084 - E-mail:
| | - ELENA PARIANI
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italia
- Centro Interuniversitario per la Ricerca sull'Influenza e le altre Infezioni Trasmissibili CIRI-IT, Italia
| | - GIOVANNA ELISA CALABRÒ
- Sezione di Igiene, Dipartimento Universitario di Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italia
- VIHTALI (Value In Health Technology and Academy for Leadership & Innovation), spin off dell’Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italia
| | - CHIARA DE WAURE
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italia
| | - DONATELLA PANATTO
- Centro Interuniversitario per la Ricerca sull'Influenza e le altre Infezioni Trasmissibili CIRI-IT, Italia
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italia
| | - DANIELA AMICIZIA
- Centro Interuniversitario per la Ricerca sull'Influenza e le altre Infezioni Trasmissibili CIRI-IT, Italia
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italia
| | - PIERO LUIGI LAI
- Centro Interuniversitario per la Ricerca sull'Influenza e le altre Infezioni Trasmissibili CIRI-IT, Italia
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italia
| | - CATERINA RIZZO
- Area Funzionale Percorsi Clinici ed Epidemiologia, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Roma, Italia
| | - EMANUELE AMODIO
- Dipartimento Promozione della Salute, Materno-Infantile, di Medicina Interna e Specialistica di Eccellenza “G. D'Alessandro”, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia
| | - FRANCESCO VITALE
- Dipartimento Promozione della Salute, Materno-Infantile, di Medicina Interna e Specialistica di Eccellenza “G. D'Alessandro”, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia
| | - ALESSANDRA CASUCCIO
- Dipartimento Promozione della Salute, Materno-Infantile, di Medicina Interna e Specialistica di Eccellenza “G. D'Alessandro”, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia
| | - MARIA LUISA DI PIETRO
- Sezione di Igiene, Dipartimento Universitario di Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italia
| | - CRISTINA GALLI
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italia
| | - LAURA BUBBA
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italia
| | - LAURA PELLEGRINELLI
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italia
| | - LEONARDO VILLANI
- Sezione di Igiene, Dipartimento Universitario di Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italia
| | - FLORIANA D’AMBROSIO
- Sezione di Igiene, Dipartimento Universitario di Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italia
| | - MARTA CAMINITI
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italia
| | - ELISA LORENZINI
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italia
| | - PAOLA FIORETTI
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italia
| | | | - DAVIDE FRUMENTO
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italia
| | - ELISA CANTOVA
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italia
| | - FLAVIO PARENTE
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italia
| | - GIACOMO TRENTO
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italia
| | - SARA SOTTILE
- Università degli Studi di Trento, Trento, Italia
| | | | | | - DUCCIO GIORGETTI
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
| | - MARCO MENICACCI
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
| | - ANTONIO D’ANNA
- Dipartimento Promozione della Salute, Materno-Infantile, di Medicina Interna e Specialistica di Eccellenza “G. D'Alessandro”, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia
| | - CLAUDIA AMMOSCATO
- Dipartimento Promozione della Salute, Materno-Infantile, di Medicina Interna e Specialistica di Eccellenza “G. D'Alessandro”, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia
| | - EMANUELE LA GATTA
- Sezione di Igiene, Dipartimento Universitario di Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italia
| | - ANGELA BECHINI
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
| | - PAOLO BONANNI
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
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10
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van Boven M, Teirlinck AC, Meijer A, Hooiveld M, van Dorp CH, Reeves RM, Campbell H, van der Hoek W. Estimating Transmission Parameters for Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Predicting the Impact of Maternal and Pediatric Vaccination. J Infect Dis 2020; 222:S688-S694. [PMID: 32821916 PMCID: PMC7751153 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of respiratory tract illness in young children and a major cause of hospital admissions globally. METHODS Here we fit age-structured transmission models with immunity propagation to data from the Netherlands (2012-2017). Data included nationwide hospitalizations with confirmed RSV, general practitioner (GP) data on attendance for care from acute respiratory infection, and virological testing of acute respiratory infections at the GP. The transmission models, equipped with key parameter estimates, were used to predict the impact of maternal and pediatric vaccination. RESULTS Estimates of the basic reproduction number were generally high (R0 > 10 in scenarios with high statistical support), while susceptibility was estimated to be low in nonelderly adults (<10% in persons 20-64 years) and was higher in older adults (≥65 years). Scenario analyses predicted that maternal vaccination reduces the incidence of infection in vulnerable infants (<1 year) and shifts the age of first infection from infants to young children. CONCLUSIONS Pediatric vaccination is expected to reduce the incidence of infection in infants and young children (0-5 years), slightly increase incidence in 5 to 9-year-old children, and have minor indirect benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel van Boven
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Anne C Teirlinck
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Adam Meijer
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | | | - Christiaan H van Dorp
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | - Rachel M Reeves
- Centre for Global Health, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Harry Campbell
- Centre for Global Health, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Wim van der Hoek
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
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11
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Abstract
Low vaccine-effectiveness has been recognised as a key factor undermining efforts to improve strategies and uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination. Aiming to prevent disease transmission, vaccination may influence the perceived risk-of-infection and, therefore, alter the individual-level behavioural responses, such as the avoidance of contact with infectious cases. We asked how the avoidance behaviour of vaccinated individuals changes disease dynamics, and specifically the epidemic size, in the context of imperfect vaccination. For this purpose, we developed an agent-based simulation model, and parameterised it with published estimates and relevant databases for population demographics and agent characteristics. Encapsulating an age-stratified structure, we evaluated the per-contact risk-of-infection and estimated the epidemic size. Our results show that vaccination could lead to a larger epidemic size if the level of avoidance behaviour in vaccinated individuals reduces below that of susceptible individuals. Furthermore, the risk-of-infection in vaccinated individuals, which follows the pattern of age-dependent frailty index of the population, increases for older age groups, and may reach, or even exceed, the risk-of-infection in susceptible individuals. Our findings indicate that low engagement in avoidance behaviour can potentially offset the benefits of vaccination even for vaccines with high effectiveness. While highlighting the protective effects of vaccination, seasonal influenza immunisation programmes should enhance strategies to promote avoidance behaviour despite being vaccinated.
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12
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de Boer PT, Backer JA, van Hoek AJ, Wallinga J. Vaccinating children against influenza: overall cost-effective with potential for undesirable outcomes. BMC Med 2020; 18:11. [PMID: 31931789 PMCID: PMC6958762 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-019-1471-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study aims to assess the cost-effectiveness of an influenza vaccination program for children in the Netherlands. This requires an evaluation of the long-term impact of such a program on the burden of influenza across all age groups, using a transmission model that accounts for the seasonal variability in vaccine effectiveness and the shorter duration of protection following vaccination as compared to natural infection. METHODS We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis based on a stochastic dynamic transmission model that has been calibrated to reported GP visits with influenza-like illness in the Netherlands over 11 seasons (2003/2004 to 2014/2015). We analyzed the costs and effects of extending the current program with vaccination of children aged 2-16 years at 50% coverage over 20 consecutive seasons. We measured the effects in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and we adopted a societal perspective. RESULTS The childhood vaccination program is estimated to have an average incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of €3944 per QALY gained and is cost-effective in the general population (across 1000 simulations; conventional Dutch threshold of €20,000 per QALY gained). The childhood vaccination program is not estimated to be cost-effective for the target-group itself with an average ICER of €57,054 per QALY gained. Uncertainty analyses reveal that these ICERs hide a wide range of outcomes. Even though introduction of a childhood vaccination program decreases the number of infections, it tends to lead to larger epidemics: in 23.3% of 1000 simulations, the childhood vaccination program results in an increase in seasons with a symptomatic attack rate larger than 5%, which is expected to cause serious strain on the health care system. In 6.4% of 1000 simulations, the childhood vaccination program leads to a net loss of QALYs. These findings are robust across different targeted age groups and vaccination coverages. CONCLUSIONS Modeling indicates that childhood influenza vaccination is cost-effective in the Netherlands. However, childhood influenza vaccination is not cost-effective when only outcomes for the children themselves are considered. In approximately a quarter of the simulations, the introduction of a childhood vaccination program increases the frequency of seasons with a symptomatic attack rate larger than 5%. The possibility of an overall health loss cannot be excluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter T de Boer
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie Van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
| | - Jantien A Backer
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie Van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Albert Jan van Hoek
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie Van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.,Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jacco Wallinga
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie Van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.,Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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13
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Hay JA, Laurie K, White M, Riley S. Characterising antibody kinetics from multiple influenza infection and vaccination events in ferrets. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1007294. [PMID: 31425503 PMCID: PMC6715255 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The strength and breadth of an individual's antibody repertoire is an important predictor of their response to influenza infection or vaccination. Although progress has been made in understanding qualitatively how repeated exposures shape the antibody mediated immune response, quantitative understanding remains limited. We developed a set of mathematical models describing short-term antibody kinetics following influenza infection or vaccination and fit them to haemagglutination inhibition (HI) titres from 5 groups of ferrets which were exposed to different combinations of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV with or without adjuvant), A/H3N2 priming inoculation and post-vaccination A/H1N1 inoculation. We fit models with various immunological mechanisms that have been empirically observed but have not previously been included in mathematical models of antibody landscapes, including: titre ceiling effects, antigenic seniority and exposure-type specific cross reactivity. Based on the parameter estimates of the best supported models, we describe a number of key immunological features. We found quantifiable differences in the degree of homologous and cross-reactive antibody boosting elicited by different exposure types. Infection and adjuvanted vaccination generally resulted in strong, broadly reactive responses whereas unadjuvanted vaccination resulted in a weak, narrow response. We found that the order of exposure mattered: priming with A/H3N2 improved subsequent vaccine response, and the second dose of adjuvanted vaccination resulted in substantially greater antibody boosting than the first. Either antigenic seniority or a titre ceiling effect were included in the two best fitting models, suggesting a role for a mechanism describing diminishing antibody boosting with repeated exposures. Although there was considerable uncertainty in our estimates of antibody waning parameters, our results suggest that both short and long term waning were present and would be identifiable with a larger set of experiments. These results highlight the potential use of repeat exposure animal models in revealing short-term, strain-specific immune dynamics of influenza.
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MESH Headings
- Adjuvants, Immunologic/administration & dosage
- Animals
- Antibodies, Viral/blood
- Computational Biology
- Cross Reactions
- Disease Models, Animal
- Ferrets/immunology
- Humans
- Immunization, Secondary
- Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype/immunology
- Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype/immunology
- Influenza Vaccines/administration & dosage
- Influenza, Human/immunology
- Influenza, Human/prevention & control
- Kinetics
- Models, Immunological
- Orthomyxoviridae Infections/immunology
- Orthomyxoviridae Infections/virology
- Vaccines, Inactivated/administration & dosage
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Affiliation(s)
- James A. Hay
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Laurie
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
- Seqirus, 63 Poplar Road, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael White
- Malaria: Parasites and Hosts, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Steven Riley
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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14
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Hendrickx DM, Abrams S, Hens N. The impact of behavioral interventions on co-infection dynamics: An exploration of the effects of home isolation. J Theor Biol 2019; 476:5-18. [PMID: 31145910 PMCID: PMC6609929 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2019.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral epidemiology, the field aiming to determine the impact of individual behavior on the spread of an epidemic, has gained increased recognition during the last few decades. Behavioral changes due to the development of symptoms have been studied in mono-infections. However, in reality, multiple infections are circulating within the same time period and behavioral changes resulting from contraction of one of the diseases affect the dynamics of the other. The present study aims at assessing the effect of home isolation on the joint dynamics of two infectious diseases, including co-infection, assuming that the two diseases do not confer cross-immunity. We use an age- and time- structured co-infection model based on partial differential equations. Social contact matrices, describing different mixing patterns of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals are incorporated into the calculation of the age- and time-specific marginal forces of infection. Two scenarios are simulated, assuming that one of the diseases has more severe symptoms than the other. In the first scenario, people stay only at home when having symptoms of the most severe disease. In the second scenario, twice as many people stay at home when having symptoms of the most severe disease than when having symptoms of the other disease. The results show that the impact of home isolation on the joint dynamics of two infectious diseases depends on the epidemiological parameters and properties of the diseases (e.g., basic reproduction number, symptom severity). In case both diseases have a low to moderate basic reproduction number, and there is no home isolation for the less severe disease, the final size of the less severe disease increases with the proportion of symptomatic cases of the most severe disease staying at home, after an initial decrease. This counterintuitive result could be explained by a shift in the peak time of infection of the disease with the most severe symptoms, resulting in a smaller number of people with less contacts at the peak time of the other infection. When twice as many people stay at home when having symptoms of the most severe disease than when having symptoms of the other disease, increasing the proportion staying at home always reduces the final size of both diseases, and the number of co-infections. In conclusion, when providing advise if people should stay at home in the context of two or more co-circulating diseases, one has to take into account epidemiological parameters and symptom severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana M Hendrickx
- Center for Statistics, Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
| | - Steven Abrams
- Center for Statistics, Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Niel Hens
- Center for Statistics, Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Centre for Health Economics Research and Modelling Infectious Diseases, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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15
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Backer J, Wallinga J, Meijer A, Donker G, van der Hoek W, van Boven M. The impact of influenza vaccination on infection, hospitalisation and mortality in the Netherlands between 2003 and 2015. Epidemics 2019; 26:77-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
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16
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A collaborative multiyear, multimodel assessment of seasonal influenza forecasting in the United States. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:3146-3154. [PMID: 30647115 PMCID: PMC6386665 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1812594116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate prediction of the size and timing of infectious disease outbreaks could help public health officials in planning an appropriate response. This paper compares approaches developed by five different research groups to forecast seasonal influenza outbreaks in real time in the United States. Many of the models show more accurate forecasts than a historical baseline. A major impediment to predictive ability was the real-time accuracy of available data. The field of infectious disease forecasting is in its infancy and we expect that innovation will spur improvements in forecasting in the coming years. Influenza infects an estimated 9–35 million individuals each year in the United States and is a contributing cause for between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths annually. Seasonal outbreaks of influenza are common in temperate regions of the world, with highest incidence typically occurring in colder and drier months of the year. Real-time forecasts of influenza transmission can inform public health response to outbreaks. We present the results of a multiinstitution collaborative effort to standardize the collection and evaluation of forecasting models for influenza in the United States for the 2010/2011 through 2016/2017 influenza seasons. For these seven seasons, we assembled weekly real-time forecasts of seven targets of public health interest from 22 different models. We compared forecast accuracy of each model relative to a historical baseline seasonal average. Across all regions of the United States, over half of the models showed consistently better performance than the historical baseline when forecasting incidence of influenza-like illness 1 wk, 2 wk, and 3 wk ahead of available data and when forecasting the timing and magnitude of the seasonal peak. In some regions, delays in data reporting were strongly and negatively associated with forecast accuracy. More timely reporting and an improved overall accessibility to novel and traditional data sources are needed to improve forecasting accuracy and its integration with real-time public health decision making.
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17
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Backer JA, van Boven M, van der Hoek W, Wallinga J. Vaccinating children against influenza increases variability in epidemic size. Epidemics 2018; 26:95-103. [PMID: 30529023 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2018.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Seasonal influenza causes a high disease burden. Many influenza vaccination programmes target the elderly and persons at high risk of complications. Some countries have recommended or even implemented a paediatric vaccination programme. Such a programme is expected to reduce influenza transmission in the population, offering direct protection to the vaccinated children and indirect protection to the elderly. We study the impact of a child vaccination programme with an age- and risk-structured transmission model, calibrated to data of 11 influenza seasons in the Netherlands. The model tracks the build-up of immunes and susceptibles in each age cohort over time, and it allows for seasonal variation in vaccine match and antigenic drift. Different vaccination strategies are evaluated for three target age groups (2-3, 2-12 and 2-16 year olds) over the full range of vaccination coverages (0-100%). The results show that the paediatric vaccination programme has only a limited impact on the elderly age groups, which account for most influenza morbidity and mortality. This is due to two notable changes in infection dynamics. First, an age shift is observed: influenza infections are reduced in vaccinated children, but are increased in young adults with limited natural immunity after years of vaccination. These young adults assume the role of driving the epidemic. Second, a year with low influenza activity can be followed by a large epidemic due to build-up of susceptibles. This variation of the infection attack rate increases with increasing vaccination coverage. The increased variability in the infection attack rate implies that health care facilities should be prepared for rare but larger peaks in influenza patients. Moreover, vaccinating the group with the highest transmission potential, results in a larger dependency on a secure vaccine supply. These arguments should be taken into account in the decision to introduce mass vaccination of school-aged children against influenza.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Backer
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
| | - M van Boven
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - W van der Hoek
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - J Wallinga
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands; Department of Medical Statistics and Bioinformatics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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18
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Mohn KGI, Zhou F. Clinical Expectations for Better Influenza Virus Vaccines-Perspectives from the Young Investigators' Point of View. Vaccines (Basel) 2018; 6:E32. [PMID: 29861454 PMCID: PMC6027204 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines6020032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The influenza virus is one of a few viruses that is capable of rendering an otherwise healthy person acutly bedridden for several days. This impressive knock-out effect, without prodromal symptoms, challenges our immune system. The influenza virus undergoes continuous mutations, escaping our pre-existing immunity and causing epidemics, and its segmented genome is subject to reassortment, resulting in novel viruses with pandemic potential. The personal and socieoeconomic burden from influenza is high. Vaccination is the most cost-effective countermeasure, with several vaccines that are available. The current limitations in vaccine effectivness, combined with the need for yearly updating of vaccine strains, is a driving force for research into developing new and improved influenza vaccines. The lack of public concern about influenza severity, and misleading information concerning vaccine safety contribute to low vaccination coverage even in high-risk groups. The success of future influeza vaccines will depend on an increased public awarness of the disease, and hence, the need for vaccination-aided through improved rapid diagnositics. The vaccines must be safe and broadly acting, with new, measurable correlates of protection and robust post-marketing safety studies, to improve the confidence in influenza vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin G-I Mohn
- Influenza Centre, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen 5021, Norway.
- Emergency Care clinic, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen 5021, Norway.
| | - Fan Zhou
- Influenza Centre, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen 5021, Norway.
- K.G. Jebsen Centre for Influenza Vaccine Research, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen 5021, Norway.
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