Articles: pandemics.
-
Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. · Apr 2013
Multicenter StudyBenefit of conjugate pneumococcal vaccination in preventing influenza hospitalization in children: a case-control study.
The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) might prevent hospitalizations in children because of the role of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the complications of influenza infection. We investigated the benefit of PCV vaccination in preventing influenza hospitalization in children <5 years of age during the 2009 to 2010 pandemic wave and the 2010 to 2011 influenza epidemic in Spain. ⋯ The results obtained suggest that, in children <5 years of age, PCV vaccination reduced hospitalization during the 2009 to 2010 pandemic wave. By contrast, there was no observed benefit of vaccination in the 2010 to 2011 influenza season.
-
Hum Vaccin Immunother · Apr 2013
Pandemic influenza vaccination during pregnancy: an investigation of vaccine uptake during the 2009/10 pandemic vaccination campaign in Great Britain.
Pregnant women in Great Britain were recommended to receive influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccines during the 2009/10 influenza pandemic, however uptake of the vaccines by pregnant women was reported to have been very low. ⋯ Uptake rates were calculated using data from the UK General Practice Research Database (GPRD). Predictors of vaccination were identified using a Cox proportional hazards model.
-
Critical care medicine · Apr 2013
Participation of ICUs in critical care pandemic research: a province wide, cross-sectional survey.
Little information exists to identify barriers to participation in pandemic research involving critically ill patients. We sought to characterize clinical research activity during the recent influenza A pandemic and to understand the experiences, beliefs, and practices of key stakeholders involved in pandemic research implementation. ⋯ Whereas research personnel and administrators support participation in pandemic ICU research, several modifiable barriers to participation exist. Pandemic research preparedness planning with regulatory bodies and dedicated funding to support research infrastructure, especially in community settings, are required to optimize future pandemic research participation.
-
Emerging Infect. Dis. · Apr 2013
Risk factors for influenza among health care workers during 2009 pandemic, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
This prospective cohort study, performed during the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic, was aimed to determine whether adults working in acute care hospitals were at higher risk than other working adults for influenza and to assess risk factors for influenza among health care workers (HCWs). We assessed the risk for influenza among 563 HCWs and 169 non-HCWs using PCR to test nasal swab samples collected during acute respiratory illness; results for 13 (2.2%) HCWs and 7 (4.1%) non-HCWs were positive for influenza. ⋯ Contact with persons with acute respiratory illness, rather than workplace, was associated with influenza infection. Adherence to infection control recommendations may prevent influenza among HCWs.
-
Comparative Study
Impact of seasonal and pandemic influenza on emergency department visits, 2003-2010, Ontario, Canada.
Weekly influenza-like illness (ILI) consultation rates are an integral part of influenza surveillance. However, in most health care settings, only a small proportion of true influenza cases are clinically diagnosed as influenza or ILI. The primary objective of this study was to estimate the number and rate of visits to the emergency department (ED) that are attributable to seasonal and pandemic influenza and to describe the effect of influenza on the ED by age, diagnostic categories, and visit disposition. A secondary objective was to assess the weekly "real-time" time series of ILI ED visits as an indicator of the full burden due to influenza. ⋯ Influenza appears to have had a much larger effect on ED visits than was captured by clinical diagnoses of influenza or ILI. Throughout the study period, ILI ED visits were strongly associated with excess respiratory complaints. However, the relationship between ILI ED visits and the estimated effect of influenza on ED visits was not consistent enough from year to year to predict the effect of influenza on the ED or downstream in-hospital resource requirements.