Full metadata
Background: The historical Japanese influenza vaccination program targeted at schoolchildren provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the indirect benefits of vaccinating high-transmitter groups to mitigate disease burden among seniors. Here we characterize the indirect mortality benefits of vaccinating schoolchildren based on data from Japan and the US.
Methods: We compared age-specific influenza-related excess mortality rates in Japanese seniors aged ≥65 years during the schoolchildren vaccination program (1978–1994) and after the program was discontinued (1995–2006). Indirect vaccine benefits were adjusted for demographic changes, socioeconomics and dominant influenza subtype; US mortality data were used as a control.
Results: We estimate that the schoolchildren vaccination program conferred a 36% adjusted mortality reduction among Japanese seniors (95%CI: 17–51%), corresponding to ∼1,000 senior deaths averted by vaccination annually (95%CI: 400–1,800). In contrast, influenza-related mortality did not change among US seniors, despite increasing vaccine coverage in this population.
Conclusions: The Japanese schoolchildren vaccination program was associated with substantial indirect mortality benefits in seniors.
- Charu, Vivek (Author)
- Viboud, Cecile (Author)
- Simonsen, Lone (Author)
- Sturm-Ramirez, Katharine (Author)
- Shinjoh, Masayoshi (Author)
- Chowell-Puente, Gerardo (Author)
- Miller, Mark (Author)
- Sugaya, Norio (Author)
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Contributor)
Charu, V., Viboud, C., Simonsen, L., Sturm-Ramirez, K., Shinjoh, M., Chowell, G., . . . Sugaya, N. (2011). Influenza-Related Mortality Trends in Japanese and American Seniors: Evidence for the Indirect Mortality Benefits of Vaccinating Schoolchildren. PLoS ONE, 6(11). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0026282
- 2017-04-12 03:41:54
- 2021-12-03 02:35:45
- 2 years 11 months ago