Influenza News

Abbott’s reformulated lateral flow influenza assay has been waived by the FDA under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, or CLIA, for use with the company’s camera-based Digival diagnostic test reader, according to a press release.

Hospitals in the United States have implemented new policies based on last year’s severe influenza season, but infectious disease experts agree that America’s health care systems would still be seriously challenged by another bad influenza season.

The WHO advisory group that recommends which influenza viruses should be included in seasonal vaccines said it would wait another month, until March 21, to select an H3N2 component for the Northern Hemisphere’s 2019-2020 vaccines “in light of recent changes in the proportions of” circulating viruses.

Repeat immunization with inactivated influenza vaccine appears to reduce children’s antibody responses to influenza strains A(H1N1)pdm09 and B, according to findings published in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. The effect of previous-season vaccination on the efficacy of live-attenuated influenza vaccine was less clear, researchers said.

Children who have confirmed influenza receive fewer antibiotics in the 10 days after diagnosis and were less likely to use further health care services compared with children who were diagnosed with influenza without a microbiologic confirmation.

The influenza vaccine has been 47% effective overall this season in the United States, including 46% effective against the predominant circulating virus, influenza A(H1N1), but has provided “limited to no” protection in older adults, according to interim estimates published today in MMWR.

Patients with influenza B had similar rates of associated disease severity and ICU admission compared with patients with influenza A(H1N1) during two recent influenza seasons in Jerusalem, researchers reported.

The childhood and adolescent immunization recommendations for 2019 have been updated to include the use of a live-attenuated intranasal influenza vaccination, or LAIV, in instances in which a child would otherwise refuse vaccination.

The FDA approved the 0.5 mL dose of Fluzone, a quadrivalent influenza vaccine, for use in children aged between 6 and 35 months. The manufacturer said in a press release that this dose will be available for the 2019-2020 influenzas season, alongside the 0.25-mL dose option.

In Canada, the influenza vaccine has been 72% effective this season against the predominant circulating virus, influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, offering “substantial” protection, researchers said.