Seasonal influenza vaccine policy, use and effectiveness in the tropics and subtropics – a systematic literature review

• Published in: Influenza and other respiratory viruses 2016-07, Vol.10 (4), p.254-267
• Main Authors: Hirve, Siddhivinayak, Lambach, Philipp, Paget, John, Vandemaele, Katelijn, Fitzner, Julia, Zhang, Wenqing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Availability; Children; Decisions; Geriatrics; Global health; Health Policy; Humans; Immunogenicity; Infants; Influenza; Influenza vaccines; Influenza Vaccines - administration & dosage; Influenza Vaccines - genetics; Influenza Vaccines - immunology; Influenza, Human - immunology; Influenza, Human - prevention & control; Influenza, Human - virology; Libraries; Literature reviews; Manufacturers; Medical advice systems; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Mortality; Northern Hemisphere; Older people; Online databases; Orthomyxoviridae - genetics; Orthomyxoviridae - immunology; Orthomyxoviridae - physiology; Pandemics; policy; Population; Pregnancy; Pregnant women; Prevention; Production capacity; Researchers; Respiratory diseases; Review; Risk groups; Seasonal variations; Seasons; Southern Hemisphere; treatment effectiveness; Tropical environments; Vaccination; Vaccination - legislation & jurisprudence; Vaccination - standards; Vaccines; Viruses; World health
• ISSN: 1750-2640; 1750-2659
• DOI: 10.1111/irv.12374

Aim The evidence needed for tropical countries to take informed decisions on influenza vaccination is scarce. This article reviews policy, availability, use and effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccine in tropical and subtropical countries. Method Global health databases were searched in three thematic areas – policy, availability and protective benefits in the context of human seasonal influenza vaccine in the tropics and subtropics. We excluded studies on monovalent pandemic influenza vaccine, vaccine safety, immunogenicity and uptake, and disease burden. Results Seventy‐four countries in the tropics and subtropics representing 60% of the world's population did not have a national vaccination policy against seasonal influenza. Thirty‐eight countries used the Northern Hemisphere and 21 countries the Southern Hemisphere formulation. Forty‐six countries targeted children and 57 targeted the elderly; though, the age cut‐offs varied. Influenza vaccine supply increased twofold in recent years. However, coverage remained lower than five per 1000 population. Vaccine protection against laboratory‐confirmed influenza in the tropics ranged from 0% to 42% in the elderly, 20–77% in children and 50–59% in healthy adults. Vaccinating pregnant women against seasonal influenza prevented laboratory‐confirmed influenza in both mothers (50%) and their infants