Influenza Vaccine

Excerpt

Influenza viruses belong to the Orthomyxoviridae RNA virus family and are classified into 3 distinct types based on their major antigenic differences: influenza A, influenza B, and influenza C. Influenza viruses cause annual human epidemics, seasonal and pandemics. Seasonal influenza epidemics caused by influenza A and B viruses result in 3 to 5 million severe cases and thousands of deaths globally each year. The influenza A virus causes epidemics and pandemics because of its spread from migrating birds, pigs, horses, and humans. Transmission can be human to human from fomites, coughing, and sneezing. Influenza B exclusively spreads among humans, underscoring its unique transmission pattern limited to human-to-human contact. This singular mode of transmission excludes involvement with other hosts, distinguishing Influenza B from viruses capable of causing pandemics. Influenza C is a mild disease. This activity describes the mode of action of the influenza vaccine, including modes of administration, formulations, adverse event profiles, eligible patient populations, and monitoring, and it highlights the role of the interprofessional team in the management of influenza patients.