The effect of seasonal influenza vaccine on medically-attended influenza and non-influenza respiratory viruses infections at primary care level, Hong Kong SAR, 2017/18 to 2019/20

Abstract

Effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccine (SIV) varies with the degree of matching with the vaccine and circulating viruses. We continued our SIV effectiveness against medically-attended influenza-like illness (ILI) under the Department of Health Hong Kong’s sentinel private medical practitioners (PMP) network, using the test-negative case-control design, for the 2018/19 and 2019/20 season. In addition, we studied the potential interference between SIV and ILI caused by non-influenza respiratory viruses (NIRV) based on data collated from 2017/18 to 2019/20 seasons. 3404 patients were analysed. Across the 2017/18 to 2019/20 seasons, the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of SIV was 44% (95% CI 30–56%) against pan-negative controls, 57% (95%CI. 42–68%) against NIRV controls and 50% (95%CI 38–59%) against both. SIV was moderately effective against medically-attended ILI caused by influenza A/B in both 2018/19 and 2019/20 winter seasons (53.2% (95%CI 36.7–65.5%) and 41.8% (95%CI 6.3–64.1%), respectively). The VE against the main circulating subtype, influenza A(H1), was higher for the 2018/19 season (57.2% (95%CI 39.8–69.9%), compared to 34.6% (95%CI −9.6–61.4%) in the 2019/20 season). When compared to pan negative controls, those with single NIRV infections were similarly likely to have received SIV (OR 1.05 (95%CI 0.72–1.54) within the influenza season; OR 0.97 (95%CI 0.73–1.29) when including non-influenza seasons). Analyses by type of virus showed no increased risk of SIV identified among those with single infections of EV/RV, HMPV and parainfluenza but a 2-fold increased risk was shown for those with single infections of adenovirus and parainfluenza virus (adenovirus: OR 2.54 (95%CI 1.24–5.14) within influenza season and OR 1.78 (95%CI 1.01–3.09) for the whole period; parainfluenza virus: OR 2.01 (95%CI 1.22–3.29) within influenza season and OR 1.89 (95%CI 1.29–2.76) for the whole period). SIV programme and surveillance of influenza and NIRV, including SARS-CoV-2, should continue during the COVID-19 pandemic.