Interim estimates of the effectiveness of influenza vaccination against influenza-associated hospitalization in children in Hong Kong, 2015-16.
Cowling BJ., Kwan MYW., Wong JSC., Feng S., Leung C-W., Chan ELY., Chan K-H., Ng T-K., To W-K., Peiris MJS., Chiu SS.
From 1 September 2015 through 31 January 2016, we enrolled 2068 children 6 months to 17 years of age admitted to hospital with a febrile acute respiratory infection in our test-negative study. Information on receipt of 2015-16 northern hemisphere inactivated influenza vaccination was elicited from parents or legal guardians. Using conditional logistic regression adjusting for age and matching on calendar time, we estimated influenza vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization with influenza A or B to be 79.2% (95% confidence interval: 42.0%-92.4%). Annual influenza vaccination should be more widely used in children in Hong Kong.