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- Title
The decline of invasive meningococcal disease and influenza in the time of COVID‐19: the silver linings of the pandemic playbook.
- Authors
George, CR Robert; Booy, Robert; Nissen, Michael D; Lahra, Monica M
- Abstract
In Australia, both IMD and influenza are notifiable to government under legislation, and in 2020 and 2021, coincident with the global COVID-19 pandemic, both IMD and influenza case numbers were the lowest since records began. Keywords: Influenza; COVID-19; Vaccine preventable disease EN Influenza COVID-19 Vaccine preventable disease 504 507 4 06/07/22 20220601 NES 220601 A combination of targeted vaccinations and COVID-19 public health measures has led to reduced rates of invasive meningococcal disease and influenza Both influenza and invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) are recognised as diseases of crowding,1 a factor also identified as central to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission.2 Observations from military outbreaks published more than 100 years ago illustrate the impact of overcrowding on both meningococcal carriage and invasive disease, and the effects of simple public health strategies to improve hygiene that had substantive impact on both disease rates and mortality.3 In that landmark paper from 1918, six predisposing factors for IMD were observed: season, severe weather, antecedent epidemics of influenza, temporarily lowered resistance, overcrowding, and high carriage rates. Ongoing efforts are required to continue targeting serogroups that prevail, notably serogroup B. Moreover, in recognising the clear correlation between influenza and IMD spikes, measures that prevent influenza, including seasonal influenza vaccination, may play an important role in IMD case mitigation in the future.
- Subjects
INFLUENZA; MENINGOCOCCAL infections; PANDEMICS; COVID-19; INDIGENOUS Australians
- Publication
Medical Journal of Australia, 2022, Vol 216, Issue 10, p504
- ISSN
0025-729X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.5694/mja2.51463