Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness in European Primary Care Pediatric Practices: 2022–2024

OBJECTIVES: To estimate influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) in the pediatric population (<18 years) attending primary care in the European Union and European Economic Area in 2022/2023 and 2023/2024. METHODS: General practitioners swabbed and interviewed patients with acute respiratory tract infection. We conducted a test-negative case-control study and used logistic regression to estimate VE against any influenza and specific (sub)types, overall and by age group, and within the vaccine recommendation target group. RESULTS: Among 10 368 children in 2022/23, 3286 (32%) tested polymerase chain reaction-positive for influenza virus; among 9270 children in 2023/24, 1567 (17%) tested positive. Influenza A(H3N2) and B predominated in 2022/23, and influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in 2023/24. Among the test-negative controls, 17% were part of the vaccine recommendation target group in 2022/23 and 38% in 2023/24. In 2022/23, overall VE against any influenza was 68% (95% CI: 59-76); 57% (95% CI: 26-76) against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09; 54% (95% CI: 33-69) against influenza A(H3N2); 83% (95% CI: 74-90) against influenza B. In 2023/24, overall VE against any influenza was 71% (95% CI: 62-78); 75% (95% CI: 64-83) against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09; 40% (95% CI: 4-64) against influenza A(H3N2); and 92% (95% CI: 63-100) against influenza B. All VE estimates varied by age and vaccine recommendation target group. CONCLUSIONS: In 2022/23 and 2023/24, more than two-thirds of vaccinated children were protected against primary care-attended influenza infection in Europe. Monitoring VE in children can help inform influenza immunization programs.

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Journal
PEDIATRICS
Published
2026-04-06
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2025-072907
Primary Topic
Influenza Virus Research Studies
Type
article
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article

Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness in European Primary Care Pediatric Practices: 2022–2024

Ivan Mlinarić, Silke Buda, Héloïse Lucaccioni, Mariëtte Hooiveld et al.
PEDIATRICS
Influenza Virus Research Studies
article

Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness in European Primary Care Pediatric Practices: 2022–2024

Ivan Mlinarić, Silke Buda, Héloïse Lucaccioni, Mariëtte Hooiveld, Marlena C. Kaczmarek, Marine Maurel, Verónica Gomez, Tove Samuelsson Hagey, Esther Kissling, Vincent Enouf, Ralf Dürrwald, Vesna Višekruna Vučina, Alessandra Falchi, Noémie Sève, Maja Ilić, M. Becerril, Adele McKenna, Annika Erdwiens, Iván Martínez-Baz, Gergö Túri, Gloria Pérez-Gimeno, Camino Trobajo-Sanmartín, Neus Latorre-Margalef, Francisco Pozo, Jesús Castilla, Isabel M. Vázquez Rincón, Maureen O’Leary, Lisa Domegan, Adam Meijer, Mihaela Lazar, Ana Paula Rodrigues, Raquel Guiomar, Marit de Lange, Sabrina Bacci
article en

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To estimate influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) in the pediatric population (<18 years) attending primary care in the European Union and European Economic Area in 2022/2023 and 2023/2024. METHODS: General practitioners swabbed and interviewed patients with acute respiratory tract infection. We conducted a test-negative case-control study and used logistic regression to estimate VE against any influenza and specific (sub)types, overall and by age group, and within the vaccine recommendation target group. RESULTS: Among 10 368 children in 2022/23, 3286 (32%) tested polymerase chain reaction-positive for influenza virus; among 9270 children in 2023/24, 1567 (17%) tested positive. Influenza A(H3N2) and B predominated in 2022/23, and influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in 2023/24. Among the test-negative controls, 17% were part of the vaccine recommendation target group in 2022/23 and 38% in 2023/24. In 2022/23, overall VE against any influenza was 68% (95% CI: 59-76); 57% (95% CI: 26-76) against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09; 54% (95% CI: 33-69) against influenza A(H3N2); 83% (95% CI: 74-90) against influenza B. In 2023/24, overall VE against any influenza was 71% (95% CI: 62-78); 75% (95% CI: 64-83) against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09; 40% (95% CI: 4-64) against influenza A(H3N2); and 92% (95% CI: 63-100) against influenza B. All VE estimates varied by age and vaccine recommendation target group. CONCLUSIONS: In 2022/23 and 2023/24, more than two-thirds of vaccinated children were protected against primary care-attended influenza infection in Europe. Monitoring VE in children can help inform influenza immunization programs.

PEDIATRICSVol. 157(5)
Semmelweis University (HU), Institut Supérieur d'Électronique de Paris (FR), Public Health Agency of Sweden (SE), Université de Corse Pascal Paoli (FR), Inserm (FR), Institut Pasteur (FR), Université Paris Cité (FR), Robert Koch Institute (DE), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ES), Sorbonne Université (FR), Instituto de Salud Pública de Navarra (ES), Institute of Public Health (AL), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (NL), Institutul Cantacuzino (RO), National Influenza Center (MN), Health Protection Surveillance Centre (IE), Institut Pierre Louis d‘Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique (FR), Servicio Cántabro de Salud (ES), National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (PT), Consejería de Salud y Consumo (ES), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (ES), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SE)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 32%
Influenza Virus Research Studies
DOISourceOpenAlex
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