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Review
. 2019 Feb 7:7:2515135519826481.
doi: 10.1177/2515135519826481. eCollection 2019.

Burden, effectiveness and safety of influenza vaccines in elderly, paediatric and pregnant populations

Sheena G Sullivan  1 , Olivia H Price  2 , Annette K Regan  3
Affiliations
Review

Burden, effectiveness and safety of influenza vaccines in elderly, paediatric and pregnant populations

Sheena G Sullivan et al. Ther Adv Vaccines Immunother. .

Abstract

Vaccination is the most practical means available for preventing influenza. Influenza vaccines require frequent updates to keep pace with antigenic drift of the virus, and the effectiveness, and sometimes the safety, of the vaccine can therefore vary from season to season. Three key populations that the World Health Organization recommends should be prioritized for influenza vaccination are pregnant women, children younger than 5 years of age and the elderly. This review discusses the burden of influenza and the safety and effectiveness profile of influenza vaccines recommended for these groups.

Keywords: aged; child; effectiveness; efficacy; immunogenicity; influenza; pregnancy; reactogenicity; safety; vaccination.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest in preparing this article.

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