Flutracking provides a measure of field influenza vaccine effectiveness, Australia, 2007-2009

Abstract

We reviewed Flutracking's (an Australian weekly online survey of community members) performance in estimating influenza vaccine effectiveness using New South Wales data for participants aged 18-60 years of age from 2007, 2008 and 2009. Flutracking results were consistent with previous findings that the 2009 seasonal influenza vaccine was ineffective in preventing the dominant pH1N109 strain of influenza, and that 2007 and 2008 vaccine strains were considered well matched to the circulating virus in Australia. Flutracking may offer an opportunity to estimate real time vaccine effectiveness during an influenza season.