Journal Article

Influenza immunization among Chinese seniors: Urgent calling for improving vaccination coverage, education, and research

Li, Xin, Leng, Sean X.

2020

Overview

Seasonal influenza infection is responsible for 3‐5 million severe illness cases and 290 000‐650 000 respiratory deaths annually worldwide. 2,3 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), influenza affects 5%‐20% of the population each year in the United States. 4 It is estimated that influenza causes 226 000 excess hospitalizations, 25 000‐69 000 deaths, and US $87 billion excess health‐care cost with over 600 000 life‐years lost annually. 5,6 Among all infectious diseases, influenza is foremost in its age‐related increase in serious complications, leading to hospitalization, catastrophic disability, and death in older adults. 7,8 Moreover, influenza frequently causes exacerbation of many chronic conditions that are common in older adults, including cardiovascular diseases, 9,10 further indirectly impacting senior health and mortality. [...]over 90% of influenza‐related mortality occurs in persons aged over 65 years. 11 In the United States, influenza and its secondary pneumonia are the fourth leading cause of death in this population. 12 Therefore, prevention and treatment of influenza in older adults have become a major public health priority. The annual vaccination is overall efficacious, with estimated risk reduction of 50%‐70% for influenza infection in young adults and less robust risk reduction in older adults. 13,14 This reduced efficacy in older adults is thought to be due to immunosenescence and common health conditions, such as frailty. 15 In recent years, a new generation of influenza vaccines, including high‐dose (HD) and adjuvanted ones, have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for older adults in the United States and elsewhere, in addition to the standard dose trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV3). There is an urgent need to establish a comprehensive, nationwide influenza surveillance mechanism or network to monitor and report influenza epidemic activity with laboratory diagnosis of influenza infection and confirmation of specific virus strain for each influenza season across China.

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc,John Wiley and Sons Inc,Wiley
• Subject: Adults / Aging / Chronic illnesses / Disease control / Disease prevention / Drug dosages / Education / FDA approval / Infectious diseases / Influenza / Insurance coverage / Manufacturers / Medical laboratories / Mortality / Older people / Public health / Quality / Researchers / Streptococcus infections / Surveillance / Vaccines