title: [Influenza in the 1995/'96 season; vaccine composition for the 1996/'97 season].
abstract: The 1995/'96 season in the Netherlands was marked by an influenza A/H3N2 epidemic that peaked in week 5I. In this week, 39 patients with influenza-like illness per 10,000 inhabitants contacted the sentinel physicians. With two exceptions, influenza A/H3N2 viruses exclusively were isolated during this epidemic period. In the first few months of 1996, a substantial number of influenza A/H1N1 and influenza B viruses were isolated as well. Serological characterization of the circulating viruses revealed that they all resembled the virus strains of the influenza vaccine of 1995/'96, which therefore probably will have provided good protection. Based on the epidemiological data from other countries and the fact that similar H3N2 viruses have been circulating since 1993, the World Health Organization has recommended to exchange the H3N2 component of the 1996/'97 vaccine for a Wuhan/353/95 (H3N2)-like strain.
authors.affiliation: Erasmus Universiteit, afd. Virologie, National Influenza Centrum van de WHO, Rotterdam.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Claas
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Bartelds
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Rimmelzwaan
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: van Wijngaarden
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines
vernacular_title: Influenza in het seizoen 1995/'96; vaccinsamenstelling voor het seizoen 1996/'97.