The purpose of this statement is to update recommendations for routine use of trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine and antiviral medications for the prevention and treatment of influenza in children. The key points for the upcoming 2011-2012 season are that (1) the influenza vaccine composition for the 2011-2012 season is unchanged from the 2010-2011 season, (2) annual universal influenza immun...

BACKGROUND Mismatch between circulating influenza B viruses (Yamagata and Victoria lineages) and vaccine strains occurs frequently. METHODS In a randomized controlled trial, immunogenicity and safety of an inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine candidate (QIV) versus trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV)-Victoria(Vic) and TIV-Yamagata(Yam) in children 3-17 years of age was evaluat...

Following the first detection of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus in sick geese in Guangdong Province in China in 1996, scientists began to develop vaccines in preparation for an avian influenza pandemic. An inactivated H5N2 vaccine was produced from a low pathogenic virus, A/turkey/England/N-28/73, and was used for buffer zone vaccination during H5N1 outbreaks in 2004 in China....

The influenza A virus [A/Chicken/Pennsylvania/1370/83 (H5N2)] that caused up to 80% mortality among chickens provided a model system for testing the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents against highly virulent influenza virus. Amantadine and rimantadine administered in drinking water were efficacious both prophylactically and therapeutically. However, under conditions simulating natural transmis...

BACKGROUND Inactivated influenza vaccines are manufactured using either split-virion or subunit methods. These 2 methods produce similar hemagglutinin antibody responses, but different cellular immune responses. METHODS We compared the effectiveness of split-virion influenza vaccines to that of subunit influenza vaccines using prospectively collected data from adults aged ≥50 years who sought...

BACKGROUND Factors affecting immune responses to influenza vaccines have not been studied systematically. We hypothesized that T-cell and antibody responses to the vaccines are functions of pre-existing host immunity against influenza antigens. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS During the 2004 and 2005 influenza seasons, we have collected data on cellular and humoral immune reactivity to influen...

MAIN RESULTS 47 trials (25 randomised controlled trials [RCTs], n=59 566) met the selection criteria. (1) Influenza vaccine (inactivated parenteral vaccine [IP], live aerosol vaccine [LA], or inactivated aerosol vaccine [IA]) v placebo. Rates of CDI and SCI were lower in the IP group than in the placebo group (table). Rates of specified CDI and SCI were also lower in the LA group than in the pl...

There is need for improved human influenza vaccines, particularly for older adults who are at greatest risk for severe disease, as well as to address the continuous antigenic drift within circulating human subtypes of influenza virus. We have engineered an influenza virus-like particle (VLP) as a new generation vaccine candidate purified from the supernatants of Sf9 insect cells following infec...

Influenza causes acute respiratory infections and various complications. Children in the high-risk group have higher complication and hospitalization rates than high-risk elderly individuals. Influenza prevention in children is important, as they can be a source infection spread in their communities. Influenza vaccination is strongly recommended for high-risk children with chronic underlying ci...