FRIDAY, Oct. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Influenza vaccination can mitigate the impact of additional waves in an influenza epidemic even when it appears an epidemic is subsiding, according to research published online Oct. 5 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Bruce Y. Lee, M.D., of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues used a computer simulation model of an urban population to determine the mechanisms that would generate a third pandemic wave of H1N1 influenza and to explore the effect that vaccinating the population at different rates and times would have on mitigating that wave.
The researchers identified three mechanisms that could cause a third pandemic wave: increased viral transmissibility that fluctuates by season with progressive viral adaptation; an immune escape variant; and changes in social mixing due to holiday-related school closures. The implementation of vaccination for these mechanisms significantly mitigated a third wave pandemic, even when the fall wave was subsiding. Gains came from earlier vaccination initiation, faster vaccination, and prioritization of population subgroups.
"Additional waves in an epidemic can be mitigated by vaccination even when an epidemic appears to be waning," the authors conclude.
One author disclosed receiving a research contract from MedImmune, a manufacturer of influenza vaccine.
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