Influenza vaccine manufacturers use the primary seed virus strains to produce vaccines that match the strains of the respective virus subtypes that are likely to circulate during the next influenza season. First, the virus strains are separately propagated in embryonated chicken eggs to produce large amounts of the viruses, called the working seed virus stock. […]
Each year, the seasonal influenza viruses change slightly which leads to a less perfect match between the vaccine viruses and the circulating viruses, rendering the vaccine used in previous years less effective. Therefore, each year, a new vaccine must be prepared that will be effective against the influenza virus strains that are expected to circulate […]
There are in principle two types of seasonal influenza vaccines. The first is the traditional flu shot, which is an inactivated vaccine that does not contain live virus. It is given by injection, usually in the upper arm muscle. Inactivated vaccines are available in three forms: whole-virus, split-virus, and subunit-virus vaccines. Whole-virus vaccines are classically […]
Influenza vaccines prevent or mitigate infections. They are designed to induce a protective immune response in the body against the viruses represented in the vaccine. When vaccinated, the immune system of the body produces a specific response, consisting of specific T cells and specific antibodies that fight off the infection when exposure to the virus […]
Medicinal interventions for influenza consist of two major approaches: the use of vaccines and antiviral drugs. Vaccines. The most cost-effective way to combat influenza is vaccination. Vaccines induce a specific immune response in the body by exposing it to an inactivated or weakened virus, or its relevant components. Influenza vaccines work best in healthy individuals […]
Antibiotics cannot be used to treat an influenza virus infection. Antibiotics kill or inhibit bacteria and should only be used to treat bacterial infections. Viral infections, like influenza, require a different treatment. Still, antibiotics can be useful during the flu season. In fact, influenza virus infection causes destruction of cells of the respiratory tract, resulting […]
Timely collection and exchange of information on influenza activity is of utmost importance when it comes to reducing the burden of influenza worldwide. National and international networks for the clinical and virological surveillance of influenza have therefore been established everywhere. The WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network comprises 4 WHO Collaborating Centres (London, Tokyo, Atlanta and […]
Seasonal influenza places a heavy demand on healthcare resources and the economy each year, as a direct result of increased primary care consultations, hospitalizations, clinical complications and patient treatment. In addition to direct medical costs, the most significant cost of influenza to society is the indirect cost of lost productivity and absenteeism. In Europe, influenza […]
Besides the suffering of individual patients caused by seasonal influenza, which also has an impact on society as a whole, several other negative effects on society and its functioning may take place. Adults missing working days due to influenza represent a considerable proportion of the burden of influenza. In addition, children and elderly patients may […]
Although many people think of the flu as a mild annoyance that we have to deal with each winter, it can actually be a dangerous disease. During annual influenza epidemics in temperate climate zones, an estimated 5-15% of the population become infected and an average of 2-10% of the population develop clinical influenza. The WHO […]