Since 2000, a sentinel surveillance of influenza, INFLUNET, exists in Italy. It is coordinated by the Ministry of Health and is divided into two parts; one of these is coordinated by the National Institute of Health (NIH), the other by the Inter-University Centre for Research on Influenza and other Transmissible Infections (CIRI-IT). The influenza surveillance system performs its activity from the 42nd week of each year (mid-October) to the 17th week of the following year (late April). Only during the pandemic season (2009/2010) did surveillance continue uninterruptedly. Sentinel physicians - about 1,200 general practitioners and independent pediatricians - send in weekly reports of cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) among their patients (over 2% of the population of Italy) to these centers. In order to estimate the burden of pandemic and seasonal influenza, we examined the epidemiological data collected over the last 3 seasons (2009-2012). On the basis of the incidences of ILIs at different ages, we estimated that: 4,882,415; 5,519,917; and 4,660,601 cases occurred in Italy in 2009-2010, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, respectively. Considering the ILIs, the most part of cases occurred in < 14 y old subjects and especially in 5-14 y old individuals, about 30% and 21% of cases respectively during 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 influenza seasons. In 2011-2012, our evaluation was of about 4.7 million of cases, and as in the previous season, the peak of cases regarded subjects < 14 y (about 29%). A/California/07/09 predominated in 2009-2010 and continued to circulate in 2010-2011. During 2010-2011 B/Brisbane/ 60/08 like viruses circulated and A/H3N2 influenza type was sporadically present. H3N2 (A/Perth/16/2009 and A/ Victoria/361/2011) was the predominant influenza type-A virus that caused illness in the 2011-2012 season. Many strains of influenza viruses were present in the epidemiological scenario in 2009-2012. In the period 2009-2012, overall vaccination coverage was low, never exceeding 20% of the Italian population. Among the elderly, coverage rates grew from 40% in 1999 to almost 70% in 2005-2006, but subsequently decreased, in spite of the pandemic; this trend reveals a slight, though constant, decline in compliance with vaccination. Our data confirm that 2009 pandemics had had a spread particularly important in infants and schoolchildren, and this fact supports the strategy to vaccinate schoolchildren at least until 14 y of age. Furthermore, the low levels of vaccination coverage in Italy reveal the need to improve the catch-up of at-risk subjects during annual influenza vaccination campaigns, and, if possible, to extend free vaccination to at least all 50-64-y-old subjects. Virologic and epidemiological surveillance remains critical for detection of evolving influenza viruses and to monitor the health and economic burden in all age class annually.

Influenza epidemiology in Italy two years after the 2009-2010 pandemic: Need to improve vaccination coverage

GASPARINI, ROBERTO;AMICIZIA, DANIELA;CRISTINA, MARIA LUISA;PANATTO, DONATELLA;LAI, PIERO LUIGI
2013-01-01

Abstract

Since 2000, a sentinel surveillance of influenza, INFLUNET, exists in Italy. It is coordinated by the Ministry of Health and is divided into two parts; one of these is coordinated by the National Institute of Health (NIH), the other by the Inter-University Centre for Research on Influenza and other Transmissible Infections (CIRI-IT). The influenza surveillance system performs its activity from the 42nd week of each year (mid-October) to the 17th week of the following year (late April). Only during the pandemic season (2009/2010) did surveillance continue uninterruptedly. Sentinel physicians - about 1,200 general practitioners and independent pediatricians - send in weekly reports of cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) among their patients (over 2% of the population of Italy) to these centers. In order to estimate the burden of pandemic and seasonal influenza, we examined the epidemiological data collected over the last 3 seasons (2009-2012). On the basis of the incidences of ILIs at different ages, we estimated that: 4,882,415; 5,519,917; and 4,660,601 cases occurred in Italy in 2009-2010, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, respectively. Considering the ILIs, the most part of cases occurred in < 14 y old subjects and especially in 5-14 y old individuals, about 30% and 21% of cases respectively during 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 influenza seasons. In 2011-2012, our evaluation was of about 4.7 million of cases, and as in the previous season, the peak of cases regarded subjects < 14 y (about 29%). A/California/07/09 predominated in 2009-2010 and continued to circulate in 2010-2011. During 2010-2011 B/Brisbane/ 60/08 like viruses circulated and A/H3N2 influenza type was sporadically present. H3N2 (A/Perth/16/2009 and A/ Victoria/361/2011) was the predominant influenza type-A virus that caused illness in the 2011-2012 season. Many strains of influenza viruses were present in the epidemiological scenario in 2009-2012. In the period 2009-2012, overall vaccination coverage was low, never exceeding 20% of the Italian population. Among the elderly, coverage rates grew from 40% in 1999 to almost 70% in 2005-2006, but subsequently decreased, in spite of the pandemic; this trend reveals a slight, though constant, decline in compliance with vaccination. Our data confirm that 2009 pandemics had had a spread particularly important in infants and schoolchildren, and this fact supports the strategy to vaccinate schoolchildren at least until 14 y of age. Furthermore, the low levels of vaccination coverage in Italy reveal the need to improve the catch-up of at-risk subjects during annual influenza vaccination campaigns, and, if possible, to extend free vaccination to at least all 50-64-y-old subjects. Virologic and epidemiological surveillance remains critical for detection of evolving influenza viruses and to monitor the health and economic burden in all age class annually.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11567/549325
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