Influenza

An increased incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases is associated with an increase in proposed bills restricting vaccine exemptions, according to study findings published in JAMA Pediatrics.

ATLANTA — Limited knowledge about inactivated vaccines, misconceptions and fears, as well as long wait times and accessibility issues are among the leading drivers of influenza vaccine hesitancy among adults with rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, according to a presenter at ACR/ARP 2019.

The American Diabetes Association, the American Lung Association and the American Heart Association are working together to urge adults living with chronic diseases to prioritize annual influenza vaccination and to encourage health care providers to advocate for and support influenza immunization within their practices, according to a press release from the organizations.

Adults with diabetes have increased risks for infections, such as influenza, cellulitis and sepsis, compared with adults without diabetes, according to findings published in Diabetes Care.

NEW ORLEANS — In-hospital influenza vaccination may reduce 30-day readmissions, mortality, morbidity and health care resource utilization in adults with community-acquired pneumonia.

Researchers were “encouraged” by the interim results from a phase 1 study of a novel influenza vaccine approach they hope will one day protect patients from both seasonal and pandemic influenza.

The estimated burden of the 2017-2018 influenza season was 48.8 million illnesses, 959,000 hospitalizations and 79,400 deaths, according to the CDC. To ensure that patients are protected throughout the influenza season, the timing of vaccination is critical.

The FDA has approved Xofluza for the treatment of patients aged 12 years or older who are at high risk for developing influenza-related complications and have been symptomatic for no more than 2 days, Genentech announced.

WASHINGTON — Helen Y. Chu, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Washington, explains findings from the Seattle Flu Study, an effort to track influenza transmission in the community as an “early alert system” for hospitals.