Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 11, 2026

Use of an Influenza Antigen Microarray to Measure the Breadth of Serum Antibodies Across Virus Subtypes
08:52

Use of an Influenza Antigen Microarray to Measure the Breadth of Serum Antibodies Across Virus Subtypes

Published on: July 26, 2019

8.8K

Influenza activity - United States, 2014-15 season and composition of the 2015-16 influenza vaccine

Grace D Appiah, Lenee Blanton, Tiffany D'Mello

    MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
    |June 5, 2015
    PubMed

    Insights

    The 2014-15 U.S. influenza season was moderately severe, dominated by drifted Influenza A (H3N2) viruses. This mismatch with the seasonal vaccine led to reduced vaccine effectiveness, particularly for older adults.

    Area of Science:

    • Virology
    • Epidemiology
    • Public Health

    Background:

    • Influenza activity in the United States during the 2014-15 season saw a peak in late December.
    • Influenza A (H3N2) viruses were the predominant strain, with a late-season increase in Influenza B.
    • This season was characterized as moderately severe, with high rates of outpatient illness and hospitalization, especially among individuals aged 65 and older.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To summarize influenza activity in the U.S. during the 2014-15 season.
    • To report on the effectiveness of the seasonal influenza vaccine.
    • To provide recommendations for the 2015-16 Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine components.

    Main Methods:

    • Surveillance data collection for influenza activity across the United States.
    • Viral characterization of circulating influenza strains.
    • Assessment of vaccine effectiveness against circulating strains.

    Main Results:

    • Influenza A (H3N2) viruses predominated, showing genetic drift from vaccine strains.
    • Reduced vaccine effectiveness was observed due to the mismatch between circulating and vaccine viruses.
    • Influenza-associated hospitalizations were high, particularly in the elderly population.

    Conclusions:

    • The predominance of drifted Influenza A (H3N2) viruses significantly impacted vaccine effectiveness during the 2014-15 season.
    • Influenza surveillance and vaccine strain selection remain critical for mitigating seasonal influenza impact.
    • Recommendations for the 2015-16 vaccine aimed to improve protection against anticipated circulating strains.

    More Related Videos

    An Optimized Hemagglutination Inhibition HI Assay to Quantify Influenza-specific Antibody Titers06:34

    An Optimized Hemagglutination Inhibition HI Assay to Quantify Influenza-specific Antibody Titers

    Published on: December 1, 2017

    38.5K
    A Luciferase-fluorescent Reporter Influenza Virus for Live Imaging and Quantification of Viral Infection05:21

    A Luciferase-fluorescent Reporter Influenza Virus for Live Imaging and Quantification of Viral Infection

    Published on: August 14, 2019

    26.3K

    Related Concept Videos

    Influenza01:27

    Influenza

    Influenza is an acute, highly communicable viral disease that affects the respiratory tract and is responsible for seasonal epidemics worldwide. Influenza A is the most prevalent type associated with widespread outbreaks and is subtyped based on two surface glycoproteins: hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N), as in H1N1. These glycoproteins are essential for viral infectivity, transmission, and immune recognition. Transmission occurs primarily through respiratory droplets and contaminated...
    51
    Vaccinations01:51

    Vaccinations

    Overview
    54.6K
    Infectious Diseases and Their Occurrence01:28

    Infectious Diseases and Their Occurrence

    Infectious diseases appear in populations through various transmission patterns, influenced by pathogen characteristics, population immunity, environmental conditions, and social behavior. Understanding these patterns is essential for effective public health surveillance and intervention. These categories—sporadic, outbreak, epidemic, pandemic, and endemic—help frame the nature and scope of disease events.Sporadic diseases occur irregularly and infrequently, without a predictable...
    63
    Leaky Scanning02:28

    Leaky Scanning

    During most eukaryotic translation processes, the small 40S ribosome subunit scans an mRNA from its 5' end until it encounters the first start AUG codon. The large 60S ribosomal subunit then joins the smaller one to initiate protein synthesis. The location of the translation initiation is largely determined by the nucleotides near the start codon as there may be multiple translation initiation sites present on the mRNA.  Marilyn Kozak discovered that the sequence RCCAUGG (where R...
    5.9K
    Viral Recombination00:57

    Viral Recombination

    Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.
    25.8K
    Vaccines01:21

    Vaccines

    Vaccines are among the most effective tools in preventive medicine, designed to prepare the immune system to recognize and combat infectious agents. By introducing antigens—substances that the immune system identifies as foreign—vaccines stimulate an adaptive immune response that leads to immunological memory. This immunological memory enables the body to mount a faster and more effective response upon future exposures to the actual pathogen.Vaccines can be categorized based on the...
    53