Articles: pandemics.
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The 2009 influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (A[H1N1]pdm09) did not exhibit antigenic drift during the 2010-2011 influenza season, providing an opportunity to investigate the duration of protection after vaccination. We estimated the independent effects of 2010-2011 seasonal trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) and A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine for preventing medically attended influenza A virus infection during the 2010-2011 season. ⋯ Monovalent vaccine provided no sustained protection against A(H1N1)pdm09 infection during the 2010-2011 season. This waning effectiveness supports the need for annual revaccination, even in the absence of antigenic drift in A(H1N1)pdm09.
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During the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, Australian public health officials closed schools as a strategy to mitigate the spread of the infection. This article examines school communities' understanding of, and participation in, school closures and the beliefs and values which underpinned school responses to the closures. ⋯ We conclude that school closures during an influenza pandemic represent both a challenge for public health officials and a litmus test for the level of trust in public officials, government and the school as institution. In our study, trust was the foundation upon which effective responses to the school closure were built. Trust relations within the school were the basis on which different values and beliefs were used to develop and justify the practices and strategies in response to the pandemic.
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Critical care medicine · Apr 2013
Editorial CommentPandemic research in the ICU: always be prepared.
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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.