Eurosurv. Influenza vaccine effectiveness against A(H3N2) during the delayed 2021/22 epidemic in Canada

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• Shinhye Kim¹ , Erica SY Chuang¹ , Suzana Sabaiduc¹ , Romy Olsha² , Samantha E Kaweski¹ , Nathan Zelyas³ , Jonathan B Gubbay^2,4 , Agatha N Jassem^1,5 , Hugues Charest⁶ , Gaston De Serres^6,7,8 , James A Dickinson⁹ , Danuta M Skowronski^1,5

Influenza virus circulation virtually ceased in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, re-emerging with the relaxation of restrictions in spring 2022. Using a test-negative design, the Canadian Sentinel Practitioner Surveillance Network reports 2021/22 vaccine effectiveness of 36% (95% CI: −38 to 71) against late-season illness due to influenza A(H3N2) clade 3C.2a1b.2a.2 viruses, considered antigenically distinct from the 3C.2a1b.2a.1 vaccine strain. Findings reinforce the World Health Organization’s decision to update the 2022/23 northern hemisphere vaccine to a more representative A(H3N2) clade 3C.2a1b.2a.2 strain.

https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.38.2200720#html_fulltext