Infectious diseases like influenza can be threats to public health and our economy.
At the OPTIONS XI for the Control of Influenza conference, leading influenza vaccines provider CSL Seqirus, joined academic, government, research and industry stakeholders to discuss and learn more about influenza and its impact.
Below, CSL Seqirus shared additional insights into topics of interest to the influenza community, helping to shed light on the ongoing work to tackle influenza.
To read the full-length articles, visit our LinkedIn page.
The Global Burden of Influenza
In uncomplicated cases, influenza is an infectious respiratory disease that resolves after three to seven days in most people. However, it can come with broader health consequences which may lead to an increased risk for hospitalization and death.
One study estimates that influenza is associated with over five million hospitalizations worldwide each year. The burden of influenza goes beyond medical consequences too, including missing school days, worker absenteeism and decline in daily productivity.
Although influenza activity was generally low during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not disappeared.
Experts anticipate that as social distancing measures and mask wearing continue to dissipate and travel restrictions lift, the conditions are ripe for a resurgent influenza season in the Northern Hemisphere.
Vaccination and Health System Resiliency
Vaccination Resiliency is the ability and capacity for immunization programs to withstand disruptions, adapt to changing circumstances and maintain uptake of public health interventions over time.
During the ongoing pandemic, this resilience has been tested: health systems became strained, and experts found that vaccinations were being deferred globally. While the impact of this has yet to be fully realized, an example is the 400% increase in measles cases reported in Africa compared to the same time in 2021.
Beyond vaccination resiliency, researchers are also working to identify what defines a health system’s ability to stay resilient against infectious diseases. The World Health Organization shared recommendations to prepare leaders and policymakers for future threats.
Health Economics and Outcomes Research
Public health policies, like national immunization programs, use economic evaluations to compare the cost and consequences of different public health interventions.
To evaluate these interventions, researchers conduct economic modeling to analyze the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of them.
For example, cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) evaluates the value of one intervention compared to another, while a budget impact analysis (BIA) determines the affordability of an intervention.
To read the full-length articles, visit our LinkedIn page.
