Effect of increased influenza and pneumococcal
vaccine coverage on the burden of influenza
among elderly people in Hong Kong versus
Brisbane: abridged secondary publication
L Yang1; WB Hu2; CM Wong3; SSS Chiu4; RJ Soares Magalhaes5; TQ Thach5; ACA Clements6; JSM Peiris3
1 School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
2 School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
3 School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
4 Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
5 School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Australia
6 Research School of Population Health, Australian National University,
Australia
1. Influenza and pneumococcal vaccine uptake
in older adults of Hong Kong has dramatically
increased since the SARS outbreak in 2003. This
enables estimation of the effect of increased
vaccine coverage by comparing the relative
change in influenza disease burden with Brisbane,
where vaccine coverage remained stable before
and after 2003.
2. Compared with the low vaccination period (pre-SARS), during the first 6 years of high vaccination (post-SARS), influenza-associated excess rates of cardio-respiratory disease, stroke, and ischaemic heart diseases mortality decreased more in Hong Kong than in Brisbane.
3. After the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, excess rates of all-causes mortality increased in Hong Kong but to a lesser extent than in Brisbane.
4. This study provides limited evidence that markedly increased vaccination rates have reduced influenza disease burden in elderly people of Hong Kong.
2. Compared with the low vaccination period (pre-SARS), during the first 6 years of high vaccination (post-SARS), influenza-associated excess rates of cardio-respiratory disease, stroke, and ischaemic heart diseases mortality decreased more in Hong Kong than in Brisbane.
3. After the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, excess rates of all-causes mortality increased in Hong Kong but to a lesser extent than in Brisbane.
4. This study provides limited evidence that markedly increased vaccination rates have reduced influenza disease burden in elderly people of Hong Kong.