Key result
Current inactivated influenza vaccines prevent illness in ~75% of healthy adults under 65.
Why the study?
The impact of influenza on individuals and society remains underappreciated despite its significant morbidity and mortality.
Highlights the significant historical and ongoing public health burden of influenza to contextualize the need for vaccine development.
Reinforces inactivated vaccine use in healthy adults under 65; leaves open whether novel platforms will improve coverage.
The future of vaccine designThe impact of influenza on individuals and on society remains underappreciated.Up to 20% of the population may develop influenza in any given year, and epidemics of influenza are responsible -on average -for 20,000 deaths per year in the US.In some epidemics, this number may climb to more than 40,000 deaths, with over 300,000 influenza-related hospitalizations in a single winter season (1).By far the most catastrophic impact of influenza during the past 100 years was the pandemic of 1918, which cost more than 500,000 lives in the United States (2) and lowered the average life expectancy by almost 10 years.
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Palese et al. (2002) conducted a review in Influenza. Influenza vaccines was evaluated. Current inactivated influenza vaccines prevent illness in 70-80% of healthy adults under 65, while future developments focus on cold-adapted live-virus vaccines, reverse genetics, and DNA vaccination.
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