title: Suboptimal effectiveness of the 2011-2012 seasonal influenza vaccine in adult Korean populations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effectiveness of the 2011-2012 seasonal influenza vaccine was evaluated in adult Korean populations with regard to how well it could prevent laboratory-confirmed influenza and influenza-related complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective case-control and retrospective cohort study was conducted among patients who visited four selected hospitals from September 2011 to May 2012. The analysis included 1,130 laboratory-confirmed influenza patients. For each influenza case, one control patient was chosen at a ratio of 1:1. A control was defined as an age group-matched patient who visited the same hospital with influenza-like illness within 48 hours of symptom onset but for whom laboratory tests were negative for influenza. Age group and visit date were matched between the cases and controls. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) was defined as [100 × (1-odds ratio for influenza in vaccinated versus non-vaccinated persons)]. The patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza were followed for at least one month through reviewing the medical records and conducting a telephone interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The VE of the 2011-2012 seasonal influenza vaccine was 3.8% [95% confidence interval (CI), -16.5% to 20.6%] for preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza, -16.1% (95% CI, -48.3 to 9.1) for influenza A and 26.2% (95% CI, -2.6 to 46.2) for influenza B. The age-specific adjusted VE was 0.3% (95% CI, -29.4 to 23.1) among participants aged 19 to 49 years, 11.9% (95% CI, -34.3 to 42.2) among those aged 50 to 64 years and -3.9% (-60.1 to 32.5) among those aged ≥65 years. The adjusted VE for preventing any influenza-related complications was -10.7% (95% CI, -41.1% to 42.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 2011-2012 seasonal influenza vaccine was not effective in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza or influenza-related complications in adult Korean populations.
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Won Suk
authors: WS
authors: Choi
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Ji Yun
authors: JY
authors: Noh
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University College of Medicine, Icheon, Republic of Korea.
authors: Ji Hyeon
authors: JH
authors: Baek
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea.
authors: Yu Bin
authors: YB
authors: Seo
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jacob
authors: J
authors: Lee
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Joon Young
authors: JY
authors: Song
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Dae Won
authors: DW
authors: Park
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University College of Medicine, Icheon, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jin Soo
authors: JS
authors: Lee
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Hee Jin
authors: HJ
authors: Cheong
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Transgovernmental Enterprise for Pandemic Influenza in Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Woo Joo
authors: WJ
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines