Influenza activity - United States, 2014-15 season and composition of the 2015-16 influenza vaccine

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2015 Jun 5;64(21):583-90.

Abstract

During the 2014-15 influenza season in the United States, influenza activity increased through late November and December before peaking in late December. Influenza A (H3N2) viruses predominated, and the prevalence of influenza B viruses increased late in the season. This influenza season, similar to previous influenza A (H3N2)-predominant seasons, was moderately severe with overall high levels of outpatient illness and influenza-associated hospitalization, especially for adults aged ≥65 years. The majority of circulating influenza A (H3N2) viruses were different from the influenza A (H3N2) component of the 2014-15 Northern Hemisphere seasonal vaccines, and the predominance of these drifted viruses resulted in reduced vaccine effectiveness. This report summarizes influenza activity in the United States during the 2014-15 influenza season (September 28, 2014-May 23, 2015) and reports the recommendations for the components of the 2015-16 Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Child
  • Child Mortality
  • Child, Preschool
  • Genetic Variation
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / genetics
  • Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / isolation & purification
  • Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype / genetics
  • Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype / isolation & purification
  • Influenza A virus / genetics
  • Influenza A virus / isolation & purification*
  • Influenza B virus / genetics
  • Influenza B virus / isolation & purification*
  • Influenza Vaccines / chemistry
  • Influenza, Human / epidemiology*
  • Influenza, Human / mortality
  • Influenza, Human / prevention & control
  • Influenza, Human / virology
  • Middle Aged
  • Outpatients / statistics & numerical data
  • Pneumonia / mortality
  • Population Surveillance*
  • Seasons
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Influenza Vaccines