Australian vaccine preventable disease epidemiological review series: Influenza 2006 to 2015.

Introduction: Influenza is a major contributor to the preventable health burden of Australians each year. The National Immunisation Program provides influenza vaccine for those at highest risk of severe disease. This review of influenza epidemiology examines current data on influenza disease burden in Australia, in the context of several comparable countries having programs with much broader eligibility for influenza vaccine in children.

Influenza vaccine efficacy in young children attending childcare: A randomised controlled trial.

Aim: Influenza causes a substantial burden in young children. Vaccine efficacy (VE) data are limited in this age group. We examined trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) efficacy and safety in young children attending childcare.

Cost of management of severe pneumonia in young children: systematic analysis.

Background: Childhood pneumonia is a major cause of childhood illness and the second leading cause of child death globally. Understanding the costs associated with the management of childhood pneumonia is essential for resource allocation and priority setting for child health.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review to identify studies reporting data on the cost of management of pneumonia in children younger than 5 years old.

Assessing Interventions To Improve Influenza Vaccine Uptake Among Health Care Workers.

Despite official recommendations for health care workers to receive the influenza vaccine, uptake remains low. This systematic review of randomized controlled trials was conducted to understand the evidence about interventions to improve influenza vaccine uptake among health care workers. We identified twelve randomized controlled trials that, collectively, assessed six major categories of interventions involving 193,924 health care workers in high-income countries.

The threat of human influenza: the viruses, disease impacts, and vaccine solutions.

Influenza is an acute respiratory illness that remains an important cause of excessive morbidity and mortality with substantial economic cost to the population. Influenza, being a virus that frequently mutates, is not amenable to elimination. Vaccination remains the most effective preventive measure.

Vaccination of Older Adults with Dementia Against Respiratory Infections.

People with dementia are at a greater risk of complications from respiratory infections therefore can benefit from vaccinations against influenza, pneumococcal disease and pertussis. This review aimed to evaluate the uptake and impact of vaccination in older adults with dementia against respiratory infections and identify knowledge gaps. Key databases were explored, search results were assessed, relevant studies identified, and data were synthesised and summarised.

Epidemiology of respiratory viral infections in children enrolled in a study of influenza vaccine effectiveness.

Background: Influenza-like illness (ILI) confers a high annual morbidity in young children. We report the epidemiology of ILIs in children who participated in an influenza vaccine effectiveness study during the 2010 Southern Hemisphere influenza season in Sydney, Australia.

Methods: Children aged 0·5-3 years were prospectively recruited from child care centres (CCCs).

The impact of influenza-like illness in young children on their parents: a quality of life survey.

Background: Influenza-like illness can cause excess paediatric morbidity and burden on parents.

Objectives: We determined the quality of life (QoL) impact of children's influenza-like illness (ILI) on their parents.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in childcare centres and a general practice in Sydney, Australia.

Quality of life for parents of children with influenza-like illness: development and validation of Care-ILI-QoL.

Purpose: Influenza-like illnesses (ILI) cause paediatric morbidity and affect the quality of life (QoL) of children and their parents. We have developed a disease-specific questionnaire (Care-ILI-QoL) to measure the QoL of caregivers of children with ILI.

Methods: The drafting of the Care-ILI-QoL questionnaire was based on a systematic review, a quantitative survey, qualitative interviews with parents, and meetings with paediatricians.

Estimates and determinants of economic impacts from influenza-like illnesses caused by respiratory viruses in Australian children attending childcare: a cohort study.

Background: Influenza and other respiratory infections cause excess winter morbidity in children. This study assessed the economic impact of influenza-like illness (ILI) on families with children attending childcare using a societal perspective.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in 90 childcare centres and one general practitioner clinics in Sydney, Australia, during 2010.

Treating and preventing influenza in aged care facilities: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Background: Influenza is an important cause of morbidity and mortality for frail older people. Whilst the antiviral drug oseltamivir (a neuraminidase inhibitor) is approved for treatment and prophylaxis of influenza during outbreaks, there have been no trials comparing treatment only (T) versus treatment and prophylaxis (T&P) in Aged Care Facilities (ACFs). Our objective was to compare a policy of T versus T&P for influenza outbreaks in ACFs.

The importance of pertussis in older adults: a growing case for reviewing vaccination strategy in the elderly.

Pertussis or whooping cough is increasingly being shown to be a respiratory infection affecting the elderly and a significant percentage of older people infected with Bordetella pertussis experience considerable morbidity and even mortality. However, current knowledge of burden of disease is limited largely to passive surveillance data with little well-designed active surveillance to better ascertain the true burden of pertussis in the elderly, to inform vaccination strategies. The current review aims to identify gaps in knowledge to inform policy considerations relating to pertussis vaccination among the elderly.

Nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae: prevalence and risk factors in HIV-positive children in Tanzania.

Background: Pneumococcal colonization of the nasopharynx is especially common in young children and is a pre-requisite for pneumococcal disease. Those with immunosuppression, such as HIV, are at higher risk of colonization and disease, especially at older ages. Currently, vaccination schedules are only offered to children under 6 months of age, despite the large impact of pneumococcal disease in older unvaccinated children with HIV.

Impacts on influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 infection from cross-protection of seasonal trivalent influenza vaccines and A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccines: systematic review and meta-analyses.

Cross-protection by seasonal trivalent influenza vaccines (TIVs) against pandemic influenza A H1N1 2009 (now known as A[H1N1]pdm09) infection is controversial; and the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccines has important health-policy implications. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are needed to assess the impacts of both seasonal TIVs and A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccines against A(H1N1)pdm09.We did a systematic literature search to identify observational and/or interventional studies reporting cross-protection of TIV and A(H1N1)pdm09 VE from when the pandemic started (2009) until July 2011.