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Five things to know about the flu vaccine
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As the 2015-2016 influenza season is coming to an end, Infectious Disease News has compiled a list of five stories that added new information about the influenza vaccine.
ACIP: Flu vaccine 59% effective to date
Although data is incomplete and several weeks remain in the influenza season, estimates from the CDC’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices indicated that the influenza vaccine has been 59% effective through Feb. 12. In addition, the vaccine was 51% effective against the H1N1 viruses responsible for most illnesses this season, 76% effective against all influenza B viruses and 79% effective against the B/Yamagata lineage of B viruses, according to estimates from the U.S. Flu VE Network. Read more.
More than half of infants, toddlers not fully vaccinated against flu
More than 50% of children aged 6 to 23 months are not fully vaccinated against influenza, according to recent research in Pediatrics.
Data showed that full vaccination rates of children in the study increased from 4.8% (2002-2003 season) to 44.7% (2011-2012 season). Despite this increase, the proportion of Hispanic (40.2%) and non-Hispanic black children (35.3%) fully vaccinated in 2012 was lower than the overall proportion. Those ethnicities also had lower full vaccination coverage than non-Hispanic white children for each influenza season. Read more.
LAIV inferior to inactivated vaccine for influenza AH1N1 in children
During the 2013-2014 season, risk for influenza was significantly greater in children vaccinated with the live-attenuated influenza vaccine compared with children, particularly those aged 2 to 8 years, vaccinated with the inactivated influenza vaccine (OR = 5.36; 95% CI, 2.37-12.13). Read more.
Flu vaccine does not increase risk for surgical patients
Recent findings published in Annals of Internal Medicine showed that influenza vaccination did not increase the risk for post-discharge fever in surgical patients, nor did it significantly increase most health care utilization among these patients. Read more.
Seasonal influenza vaccination during pregnancy reduces stillbirths
Women who received seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine during pregnancy were 51% less likely to experience stillbirth than those who did not receive the immunization, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
The findings are consistent with previous data, which suggested that maternal influenza vaccination could reduce stillbirths during an influenza pandemic. Read more.