Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/06/flu-scan-jun-01-2016
Flu Scan for Jun 01, 2016
Maternal flu shots protect newborns; Low-path avian flu in France
Filed Under:
Influenza Vaccines; Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
[h=3]Large trial in Mali finds maternal flu shots protect newborns[/h] In a large trial in the West African country of Mali, influenza vaccination in pregnant women was found to be more than 60% effective in preventing lab-confirmed flu in newborn infants for the first 4 months of life, according to a report published yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
The prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted at six referral centers and four community health centers in Bamako, Mali's capital, from September 2011 to January 2014. The researchers randomly assigned 4,193 third-trimester pregnant women to receive either a trivalent inactivated flu vaccine (TIV) or a quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine.
The team followed 1,797 infants in the TIV group and 1,793 infants in the control group for 6 months, recording 131 lab-confirmed flu cases among 5,279 flu-like illness episodes. There were 52 first episodes of flu in the TIV group and 77 in the control group.
In the intention-to-treat group?women vaccinated at any time prepartum?vaccine effectiveness in neonates was calculated to be 67.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 35.1%-85.3%) in the first 4 months of life. VE in the per-protocol group?women vaccinated at least 14 days before giving birth?was 70.2% (95% CI, 35.7 to 87.6%) for the first 4 months.
VE dropped off sharply after 4 months, leading to an overall VE for 6 months of 33.1% (95% CI, 3.7%-53.9%) in the intention-to-treat group and 37.3% (7.6%-57.8%) in the per-protocol group.
Adverse event rates were similar in the treatment and control groups, and no serious adverse events were related to vaccination, although presumed neonatal infections were more common in the flu vaccine group, the researchers said.
"Our trial represents the largest evaluation so far of maternal influenza vaccination as a strategy to prevent influenza in the youngest infants," the authors wrote. "Additionally, it is the first such study to be completed in West Africa, specifically Mali, one of the poorest countries in the world. Demonstrating the efficacy of maternal influenza vaccination in this setting is compelling."
The trial did not show that maternal flu vaccination reduced the incidence of low birth weight, which was consistent with a similar study in South Africa but differed from one in Bangladesh, the researchers said.
May 31 Lancet Infect Dis report
[h=3]France reports low-path H5N2 avian flu in poultry[/h] French officials have confirmed low-pathogenic H5N2 avian flu detected by heightened surveillance that has been in place after numerous outbreaks in the southwestern part of the country that began in November 2015, according to a report filed with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) yesterday.
The virus was detected at a farm in Landes department on Apr 28 after samples were taken on Apr 20. The virus had affected a flock of 10,300 birds, all of which were destroyed to prevent disease spread.
In addition to the H5N2 strain, authorities have previously confirmed H5N1, H5N9, and H5N3 in French poultry.
May 31 OIE report
Flu Scan for Jun 01, 2016
Maternal flu shots protect newborns; Low-path avian flu in France
Filed Under:
Influenza Vaccines; Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
[h=3]Large trial in Mali finds maternal flu shots protect newborns[/h] In a large trial in the West African country of Mali, influenza vaccination in pregnant women was found to be more than 60% effective in preventing lab-confirmed flu in newborn infants for the first 4 months of life, according to a report published yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
The prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted at six referral centers and four community health centers in Bamako, Mali's capital, from September 2011 to January 2014. The researchers randomly assigned 4,193 third-trimester pregnant women to receive either a trivalent inactivated flu vaccine (TIV) or a quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine.
The team followed 1,797 infants in the TIV group and 1,793 infants in the control group for 6 months, recording 131 lab-confirmed flu cases among 5,279 flu-like illness episodes. There were 52 first episodes of flu in the TIV group and 77 in the control group.
In the intention-to-treat group?women vaccinated at any time prepartum?vaccine effectiveness in neonates was calculated to be 67.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 35.1%-85.3%) in the first 4 months of life. VE in the per-protocol group?women vaccinated at least 14 days before giving birth?was 70.2% (95% CI, 35.7 to 87.6%) for the first 4 months.
VE dropped off sharply after 4 months, leading to an overall VE for 6 months of 33.1% (95% CI, 3.7%-53.9%) in the intention-to-treat group and 37.3% (7.6%-57.8%) in the per-protocol group.
Adverse event rates were similar in the treatment and control groups, and no serious adverse events were related to vaccination, although presumed neonatal infections were more common in the flu vaccine group, the researchers said.
"Our trial represents the largest evaluation so far of maternal influenza vaccination as a strategy to prevent influenza in the youngest infants," the authors wrote. "Additionally, it is the first such study to be completed in West Africa, specifically Mali, one of the poorest countries in the world. Demonstrating the efficacy of maternal influenza vaccination in this setting is compelling."
The trial did not show that maternal flu vaccination reduced the incidence of low birth weight, which was consistent with a similar study in South Africa but differed from one in Bangladesh, the researchers said.
May 31 Lancet Infect Dis report
[h=3]France reports low-path H5N2 avian flu in poultry[/h] French officials have confirmed low-pathogenic H5N2 avian flu detected by heightened surveillance that has been in place after numerous outbreaks in the southwestern part of the country that began in November 2015, according to a report filed with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) yesterday.
The virus was detected at a farm in Landes department on Apr 28 after samples were taken on Apr 20. The virus had affected a flock of 10,300 birds, all of which were destroyed to prevent disease spread.
In addition to the H5N2 strain, authorities have previously confirmed H5N1, H5N9, and H5N3 in French poultry.
May 31 OIE report