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Abstract

The 2014/15 influenza season to date in Canada has been characterised by predominant influenza A(H3N2) activity. Canada's Sentinel Physician Surveillance Network (SPSN) assessed interim vaccine effectiveness (VE) against medically attended, laboratory-confirmed influenza A(H3N2) infection in January 2015 using a test-negative case-control design. Of 861 participants, 410 (48%) were test-positive cases (35% vaccinated) and 451 (52%) were test-negative controls (33% vaccinated). Among test-positive cases, the majority (391; 95%) were diagnosed with influenza A, and of those with available subtype information, almost all influenza A viruses (379/381; 99%) were A(H3N2). Among 226 (60%) A(H3N2) viruses that were sequenced, 205 (91%) clustered with phylogenetic clade 3C.2a, considered genetically and antigenically distinct from the 2014/15 A/Texas/50/2012(H3N2)-like clade 3C.1 vaccine reference strain, and typically bearing 10 to 11 amino acid differences from the vaccine at key antigenic sites of the haemagglutinin protein. Consistent with substantial vaccine mismatch, little or no vaccine protection was observed overall, with adjusted VE against medically attended influenza A(H3N2) infection of ?8% (95% CI: ?50 to 23%). Given these findings, other adjunct protective measures should be considered to minimise morbidity and mortality, particularly among high-risk individuals. Virus and/or host factors influencing this reduced vaccine protection warrant further in-depth investigation. .

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/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES2015.20.4.21022
2015-01-29
2024-03-28
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES2015.20.4.21022
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