A study published in Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics describes researchers' proposal for an alternative flu vaccine that could protect more people and reduce healthcare costs.

The flu, with five million cases a year in the U.S., is one of the most common illnesses. The trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) contains both A strains and one B strain of influenza, but researchers believe that including all strains could protect more people and save money.

The alternative quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV), recommended by the World Health Organization in 2013, contains all four type A and type B strains for broader protection. Researchers tested the effectiveness of QIV in Brazil, Colombia and Panama. The factors of influenza cases, doctor visits and associated work absenteeism, hospitalizations and deaths due to influenza and costs were measured to compare.

"Our study provides the first quantitative estimates of the potential benefits of QIV should it replace TIV in the national immunization programs in Brazil, Colombia and Panama. We found that QIV would provide health benefits in the three countries when considering influenza circulation from the last seasons. For instance, an annual average of 120,000 influenza cases would be avoided with QIV in the targeted population in Brazil, avoiding in turn about 2,350 hospitalizations and 275 deaths," said lead author Aurélien Jamotte of Creativ-Ceutical.

Results included:

• Brazil: QIV saved $6,200 based on 168 influenza cases, 89 consultations, 3.2 hospitalizations and 0.38 deaths per 100,000 person-years.
• Colombia: QIV saved $1,000 to $12,700 based on 34 cases, 13–25 consultations, 0.6–8.9 hospitalizations and 0.04–1.74 deaths per 100,000 person-years.
• Panama: QIV saved $3,000 to $33,700 based on 113 cases, 55–82 consultations, 0.5–27.8 hospitalizations and 0.08–6.87 deaths per 100,000 person-years.

“Overall, the broader protection offered by QIV would have reduced the influenza humanistic and economic burden in the three countries,” concluded Jamotte. “QIV is expected to provide benefits in most parts of the world since B strains represent on average 20 to 30 percent of circulating strains around the world. These proportions can be as high as 87 percent during some seasons in some countries. Whatever the country considered, QIV is expected to further reduce the public health and economic burden of influenza compared with TIV."