The importance of influenza vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic

John McCauley; Ian G Barr; Terry Nolan; Theodore Tsai; Steven Rockman; Beverly Taylor

doi:10.1111/irv.12917

The importance of influenza vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic

Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2022 Jan;16(1):3-6. doi: 10.1111/irv.12917. Epub 2021 Oct 3.

Authors

John McCauley¹, Ian G Barr^{2

3}, Terry Nolan^{4

5

6}, Theodore Tsai⁷, Steven Rockman^{3

8}, Beverly Taylor⁹

Affiliations

¹ Worldwide Influenza Centre, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
² WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, VIDRL, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
³ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.
⁴ Vaccine and Immunisation Research Group, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁵ Department of Infectious Diseases, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
⁶ Vaccine and Immunisation Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
⁷ Takeda Vaccines, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
⁸ Seqirus Ltd, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
⁹ Seqirus Ltd, Liverpool, UK.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken to mitigate its spread have had a dramatic effect on the circulation patterns of other respiratory viruses, most especially influenza viruses. Since April 2020, the global circulation of influenza has been markedly reduced; however, it is still present in a number of different countries and could pose a renewed threat in the upcoming Northern Hemisphere winter. Influenza vaccination remains the most effective preventive measure that we have at our disposal against influenza infections and should not be ignored for the 2021-2022 season.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus; influenza; vaccination.

Publication types

Case Reports
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Humans
Influenza, Human* / epidemiology
Influenza, Human* / prevention & control
Pandemics / prevention & control
SARS-CoV-2
Vaccination