Evaluation of Southern Hemisphere influenza vaccine recommendations |
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Authors: | Stephanie A Richard Cécile Viboud Mark A Miller |
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Institution: | Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States |
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Abstract: | In 1999, the World Health Organization switched from annual to semi-annual recommendations for influenza vaccine composition. We compared the antigenic match between recommendations and circulating viruses before and after 1999, in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Vaccine match proportion for A/H3N2 viruses increased from 31% to 59% in the Southern Hemisphere (P < 0.05), and is now comparable to that in the Northern Hemisphere. Vaccine match for influenza B decreased from ∼100% to 33–54% in both hemispheres (P < 0.05), following the unexpected resurgence of influenza B/Victoria in 1997. No estimate was available for influenza A/H1N1. We conclude that semi-annual vaccine recommendations are useful overall and discuss potential ways forward, including a recommendation for the improvement of vaccination policy and influenza surveillance in tropical areas. |
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Keywords: | Influenza Vaccine match WHO recommendations Antigenic characteristics Southern Hemisphere Northern Hemisphere Seasonality |
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