Estimating the full health and economic benefits of current and future influenza vaccines.

In the dynamic landscape of respiratory virus vaccines, it is crucial to assess the value of novel mRNA and combination influenza/COVID-19 vaccines in low- and middle-income countries. Modeling studies, such as the one conducted by Waterlow et al., provide vital information about the cost-benefit potential of these products compared to currently licensed vaccines. However, this approach only accounts for directly measured medically attended influenza-associated illnesses and has two major limitations. First, this method fails to capture the full disease burden of influenza (including non-respiratory and non-medically attended influenza illnesses), which are particularly important drivers of disease burden in infants and older adults. Second, the model does not describe the ancillary benefits of influenza vaccination such as the attenuation of severe disease, prevention of severe non-respiratory outcomes (e.g., myocardial infarctions), or reduced antibiotic use. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of the benefits of influenza vaccines, we must strive to improve the inputs for future modeling-based evaluations.

The East Jakarta Project: surveillance for highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) and seasonal influenza viruses in patients seeking care for respiratory disease, Jakarta, Indonesia, October 2011-September 2012.

Indonesia has reported the most human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus worldwide. We implemented enhanced surveillance in four outpatient clinics and six hospitals for HPAI H5N1 and seasonal influenza viruses in East Jakarta district to assess the public health impact of influenza in Indonesia. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected from outpatients with influenza-like illness (ILI) and hospitalized patients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI); respiratory specimens were obtained for influenza testing by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. During October 2011-September 2012, 1131/3278 specimens from ILI cases (34·5%) and 276/1787 specimens from SARI cases (15·4%) tested positive for seasonal influenza viruses. The prevalence of influenza virus infections was highest during December-May and the proportion testing positive was 76% for ILI and 36% for SARI during their respective weeks of peak activity. No HPAI H5N1 virus infections were identified, including hundreds of ILI and SARI patients with recent poultry exposures, whereas seasonal influenza was an important contributor to acute respiratory disease in East Jakarta. Overall, 668 (47%) of influenza viruses were influenza B, 384 (27%) were A(H1N1)pdm09, and 359 (25%) were H3. While additional data over multiple years are needed, our findings suggest that seasonal influenza prevention efforts, including influenza vaccination, should target the months preceding the rainy season.

Progress toward sustainable influenza vaccination in the Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic, 2012-2018.

Despite global recommendations for influenza vaccination of high-risk, target populations, few low and middle-income countries have national influenza vaccination programs. Between 2012 and 2017, Lao PDR planned and conducted a series of activities to develop its national influenza vaccine program as a part of its overall national immunization program. In this paper, we review the underlying strategic planning for this process, and outline the sequence of activities, research studies, partnerships, and policy decisions that were required to build Laos' influenza vaccine program. The successful development and sustainability of the program in Laos offers lessons for other low and middle-income countries interested in initiating or expanding influenza immunization.