Solvay Pharmaceuticals B.V., Weesp, The Netherlands.
Abstracts of the papers presented at the International Conference of Indian Virological Society on “Emerging and Re-emerging viral Diseases of the Tropics and Subtropics” at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India, December 11–14, 2007.
The WHO estimates that every year, out of 3–5 million cases of severe influenza, 250.000–500.000 people die as a consequence of influenza infections. The majority of this annual excess influenza-associated mortality consists of elderly people. However, the annual burden of influenza is not restricted to excess mortality, but also causes huge numbers of hospitalisations. Moreover, the burden of disease is not restricted to the elderly, as clearly demonstrated by epidemiological data in many countries. Children, particularly young children experience high attack-rates and contribute to the medical and societal burden of disease. From the available literature, on average, the excess influenza-associated mortality is estimated to be 120/million population and the excess influenza-associated hospitalisations 670/million population. The national (economic) burden of influenza disease is even much larger, since it is estimated (for the USA), that each influenza-related death, is associated with 1200 health care visits and 2600 patients with influenza illness. A large proportion of this well documented influenza disease can be prevented by vaccination, which WHO considers the cornerstone of influenza prevention. Although influenza vaccines will not prevent all influenza infections and disease, the WHO estimates that the vaccine reduces the risk of serious complications and death in the elderly by 70% - 85%. In addition, some recent studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of mass-vaccination programmes for children to protect not only the children but also elderly people by reducing the transmission of the virus by infected children. Despite the annual burden of influenza disease, the availability of safe and efficacious vaccines as well as recommendations by many national- and international Public Health Authorities, such as the WHO, in many countries vaccine uptake rates remain alarmingly low. Hence, in many countries, many people suffer and die unnecessary from influenza-associated complications on an annual basis. Paradoxically, the current global pandemic preparedness efforts are aiming to minimise uncertain morbidity and mortality as well as societal disruption some time in the future, whereas existing capabilities to reduce certain and annually occurring influenza-associated morbidity and mortality are insufficiently used. According to the principles of “evidence-based medicine”, there is an urgent medical and moral need to intensify current influenza prevention efforts so that the most vulnerable patients will be protected against the consequences of an infection with these annually occurring viruses.
