Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Jun 14;34(28):3298-302.
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.04.082. Epub 2016 May 4.

Influenza epidemiology among hospitalized children in Stockholm, Sweden 1998-2014

Rutger Bennet  1 , Johan Hamrin  2 , Benita Zweygberg Wirgart  3 , Maria Rotzén Östlund  3 , Åke Örtqvist  4 , Margareta Eriksson  2
Affiliations

Influenza epidemiology among hospitalized children in Stockholm, Sweden 1998-2014

Rutger Bennet et al. Vaccine. .

Abstract

Background: Influenza remains a common reason for the hospitalization of children. There is a need for long term studies that are also population based. We describe the epidemiology of severe influenza in a defined population 1998-2014.

Method: Retrospective study of annually collected data of virologically confirmed influenza in hospitalized children 0-17 years living in the catchment area (230,000 children). We gathered information about comorbidity and complications from case records, and compared Influenza A, B and A(H1N1)pdm09 with respect to these factors.

Results: A total of 922 children with influenza were hospitalized. The mean rate remained unchanged at 22.5-24.2 per 100,000 children per year. There were two major outbreaks: influenza A(H3N2) in 2003-2004 and the A(H1N1) pandemic in 2009-2010. The proportion of children with influenza B increased from 8% during the first half of the study period to 28% during the second half. The highest admission rate was found in children <3 months of age, 169 per 100,000. Children with influenza B were older than those with influenza A. Comorbidity was found in 34%, complications in 41%, and 11% needed intensive care management. The mortality rate was 0.17/100,000 children.

Conclusion: Influenza remains an important reason for the hospitalization of children, especially during the first years of life. The increasing proportion of influenza B may have to be considered when recommending influenza vaccines.

Keywords: Children; Comorbidity; Complications; Epidemiology; Influenza.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Number of admitted children per month 1998–2014 with influenza A (A), A(H1N1)pdm09 (H), B (B), and, for comparison, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Age (cumulative percentage) of admitted children with influenza A (A), B (B) or A(H1N1)pdm09 (H): pandemic (2009) or post-pandemic (2011–).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Nair H., Brooks W.A., Katz M., Roca A., Berkley J.A., Madhi S.A. Global burden of respiratory infections due to seasonal influenza in young children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2011;378:1917–1930. - PubMed
    1. Örtqvist Å., Bennet R., Rinder M.R., Lindblad H., Eriksson M. Effectiveness of the monovalent AS03-adjuvanted influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine against hospitalization in children because of influenza. Vaccine. 2012;30:5699–5702. - PubMed
    1. Örtqvist Å., Bennet R., Hamrin J., Rinder M.R., Lindblad H., Ohd J.N. Long term effectiveness of adjuvanted influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine in children. Vaccine. 2015;33:2558–2561. - PubMed
    1. Suryadevara M., Handel A., Bonville C.A., Cibula D.A., Domachowske J.B. Pediatric provider vaccine hesitancy: an under-recognized obstacle to immunizing children. Vaccine. 2015;33:6629–6634. - PubMed
    1. Tiveljung-Lindell A., Rotzen-Östlund M., Gupta S., Ullstrand R., Grillner L., Zweygberg-Wirgart B. Development and implementation of a molecular diagnostic platform for daily rapid detection of 15 respiratory viruses. J Med Virol. 2009;81:167–175. - PMC - PubMed