title: Influenza vaccine in Hajj pilgrims: policy issues from field studies.
abstract: In pilgrims returning to the UK from the Hajj in 2005 and 2006, protection from PCR-confirmed influenza by influenza vaccine was estimated using verified vaccination histories from those with symptoms consistent with influenza. Of 538 patients whose nasal swabs were analysed and immunisation histories confirmed 115 (21%) were in a high-risk group for influenza; half of these (58/115) were immunised against influenza, compared with a fifth (90/423) of those not at high risk. Five percent of vaccinated 'at risk' pilgrims compared with 14% of unvaccinated (RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.1-1.4) had confirmed influenza. Rates of influenza in vaccinated and unvaccinated 'not at risk' pilgrims were similar (10% vs. 11%). Seasonal influenza vaccine was insignificantly protective against influenza in Hajj pilgrims.
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Child Health, Barts and The London Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK. h.rashid@qmul.ac.uk
authors.forename: Harunor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rashid
authors.forename: Shuja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shafi
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Haworth
authors.forename: Ziad A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Memish
authors.forename: Haitham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El Bashir
authors.forename: Kamal A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Booy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000821:virology; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D014195:Travel; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines