Changes in the prevalence of influenza-like illness and influenza vaccine uptake among Hajj pilgrims: A 10-year retrospective analysis of data

Alfelali M 1 , Barasheed O 2 , Tashani M 3 , Azeem MI 3 , El Bashir H 4 , Memish ZA 5 Show all authors , Heron L 3 , Khandaker G 6 , Booy R 6 , Rashid H 6 , Hajj Research Team

Affiliations 

  • 1 National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), The Children's Hospital at Westmead, and the Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine in Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: malfelali@kau.edu.sa
  • 2 National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), The Children's Hospital at Westmead, and the Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
  • 3 National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), The Children's Hospital at Westmead, and the Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • 4 Al Maha Children Unit, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
  • 5 Ministry of Health, and College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • 6 National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), The Children's Hospital at Westmead, and the Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences and Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Vaccine, 2015 May 21;33(22):2562-9.
PMID: 25887084 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.04.006

Abstract

Influenza is an important health hazard among Hajj pilgrims. For the last ten years, pilgrims are being recommended to take influenza vaccine before attending Hajj. Vaccination coverage has increased in recent years, but whether there has been any change in the prevalence of influenza-like illness (ILI) is not known. In this analysis, we examined the changes in the rate of ILI against seasonal influenza vaccine uptake among Hajj pilgrims over the last decade.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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