Abstract
The Influenza Complications Alert Network (FluCAN) is a sentinel hospital-based surveillance programme operating in all states and territories in Australia. We summarise the epidemiology of children hospitalised with laboratory-confirmed influenza in 2014 and reports on the effectiveness of inactivated trivalent inactivated vaccine (TIV) in children. In this observational study, cases were defined as children admitted with acute respiratory illness (ARI) with influenza confirmed by PCR. Controls were hospitalised children with ARI testing negative for influenza. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) was estimated as 1 minus the odds ratio of vaccination in influenza positive cases compared with test-negative controls using conditional logistic regression models. From April until October 2014, 402 children were admitted with PCR-confirmed influenza. Of these, 28% were aged < 1 year, 16% were Indigenous, and 39% had underlying conditions predisposing to severe influenza. Influenza A was detected in 90% of cases of influenza; influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was the most frequent subtype (109/141 of subtyped cases) followed by A(H3N2) (32/141). Only 15% of children with influenza received antiviral therapy. The adjusted VE of one or more doses of TIV for preventing hospitalised influenza was estimated at 55.5% (95% confidence intervals (CI): 11.6-77.6%). Effectiveness against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was high (91.6% , 95% CI: 36.0-98.9%) yet appeared poor against H3N2. In summary, the 2014 southern hemisphere TIV was moderately effective against severe influenza in children. Significant VE was observed against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09.
Highlights
Influenza is a common respiratory viral infection that affects up to 5–10% of the population each year [1]
We describe the epidemiology of hospitalisation in children with confirmed influenza and report on vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates for the 2014 southern hemisphere inactivated trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV)
We examined factors associated with intensive care unit (ICU) admission and the length of hospital stay (LOS) using multivariable regression
Summary
Influenza is a common respiratory viral infection that affects up to 5–10% of the population each year [1]. A national sentinel surveillance programme for severe influenza was established in Australia in 2009, primarily to monitor hospitalisations in adults with confirmed influenza: the Influenza Complications Alert Network (FluCAN). Given the significant burden of disease in young children and the important role that children play in introducing and spreading influenza virus in the household and the community [3], paediatric influenza surveillance provides public health authorities with important and timely information on disease severity in the early phase of the winter respiratory virus season. From 2010 to 2013, insufficient numbers of children were prospectively enrolled in existing surveillance programs to ascertain paediatric seasonal influenza activity and severity in Australia. Two tertiary paediatric hospitals (from the separate Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance network (PAEDS) [5]) were included in the existing FluCAN sentinel system in 2014
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
