Is the impact of childhood influenza vaccination less than expected: a transmission modelling study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

To reduce the burden of severe influenza, most industrialized countries target specific risk-groups with influenza vaccines, e.g. the elderly or individuals with comorbidities. Since children are the main spreaders, some countries have recently implemented childhood vaccination programs to reduce overall virus transmission and thereby influenza disease in the whole population. The introduction of childhood vaccination programs was often supported by modelling studies that predicted substantial incidence reductions. We developed a mathematical transmission model to examine the potential impact of childhood influenza vaccination in Germany, while also challenging established modelling assumptions.

Methods

We developed an age-stratified SEIR-type transmission model t

SUBMITTER: Weidemann F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5387286 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature