Excess respiratory mortality and hospitalizations associated with influenza in Australia, 2007-2015.

Background: Influenza is the most common vaccine-preventable disease in Australia, causing significant morbidity and mortality. We assessed the burden of influenza across all ages in terms of influenza-associated mortality and hospitalizations using national mortality, hospital-discharge and influenza surveillance data.

Methods: Influenza-associated excess respiratory mortality and hospitalization rates from 2007 to 2015 were estimated using generalized additive models with a proxy of influenza activity based on syndromic and laboratory surveillance data.