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The burden of hospital-attended influenza in Norwegian children
Håkon Bøås1, Terese Bekkevold1, Lise Beier Havdal1,2
1Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
Insights
Norwegian children under one year old and those with underlying medical conditions face the highest risk of hospital-treated influenza. These findings suggest a need for targeted influenza prevention strategies in pediatric populations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Public Health Surveillance
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Norwegian health authorities currently do not recommend universal seasonal influenza vaccination for children.
- This study addresses the lack of data on influenza incidence in hospitalized Norwegian children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the incidence of influenza in hospitalized Norwegian children younger than 18 years.
- To analyze influenza incidence based on age and the presence of underlying medical conditions.
Main Methods:
- Active surveillance for influenza was conducted in five Norwegian hospitals between 2015 and 2018.
- Children under 18 with respiratory symptoms or fever were enrolled and tested for influenza.
- Surveillance data were linked with health registry data to determine the national burden of influenza hospitalizations.
Main Results:
- Influenza was confirmed in 10% of 3,010 hospital contacts, yielding an average incidence of 0.96 hospital-attended cases per 1,000 children.
- Infants under one year (3.8 per 1,000) and children with underlying conditions like bronchopulmonary dysplasia (17 per 1,000) exhibited the highest incidence rates.
- Influenza positivity rates were 3% for children under one year and 25% for children aged 6-17 years; vaccination rates were low.
Conclusions:
- Hospitalized children under one year and those with underlying medical conditions experience a disproportionately high incidence of influenza.
- The study highlights the need to consider effective interventions against seasonal influenza for Norwegian children.
Background:
Norwegian health authorities do not recommend universal pediatric vaccination against seasonal influenza. We aimed to estimate the incidence of influenza by age and underlying medical conditions in hospitalized Norwegian children aged <18 years.
Methods:
Active surveillance for influenza in children <18 years was implemented in five hospitals during 2015-18. Children with respiratory symptoms and/or fever were prospectively enrolled and tested for influenza. Surveillance data were linked to health registry data to estimate the national burden of influenza in hospitals.
Results:
In 309 (10%) out of 3,010 hospital contacts, the child tested positive for influenza, corresponding to an average incidence of 0.96 hospital-attended influenza cases per 1,000 children <18 years of age. Children <1 year of age (3.8 per 1,000 children) and children with underlying medical conditions (17 per 1,000 children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia) had the highest average incidence. Among <1 year old children, 3% tested positive for influenza, compared to 25% for children aged 6-17. Few children were vaccinated against influenza.
Conclusions:
Children <1 year of age and children with underlying medical conditions had a higher incidence of influenza requiring hospital treatment compared to the general population. Effective interventions against seasonal influenza for children in Norway should be considered.
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