PLoS Medicine
http://www.plosmedicine.org/
(Accessed 26 March 2016)

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Research Article |
Global Role and Burden of Influenza in Pediatric Respiratory Hospitalizations, 1982–2012: A Systematic Analysis
Kathryn E. Lafond, Harish Nair, Mohammad Hafiz Rasooly, Fátima Valente, Robert Booy, Mahmudur Rahman, Paul Kitsutani, Hongjie Yu, Guiselle Guzman, Daouda Coulibaly, Julio Armero, Daddi Jima, Stephen R. C. Howie, William Ampofo, Ricardo Mena, Mandeep Chadha, Ondri Dwi Sampurno, Gideon O. Emukule, Zuridin Nurmatov, Andrew Corwin, Jean Michel Heraud, Daniel E. Noyola, Radu Cojocaru, Pagbajabyn Nymadawa, Amal Barakat, Adebayo Adedeji, Marta von Horoch, Remigio Olveda, Thierry Nyatanyi, Marietjie Venter, Vida Mmbaga, Malinee Chittaganpitch, Tran Hien Nguyen, Andros Theo, Melissa Whaley, Eduardo Azziz-Baumgartner, Joseph Bresee, Harry Campbell, Marc-Alain Widdowson, Global Respiratory Hospitalizations—Influenza Proportion Positive (GRIPP) Working Group
Research Article | published 24 Mar 2016 | PLOS Medicine
10.1371/journal.pmed.1001977
Abstract
Background
The global burden of pediatric severe respiratory illness is substantial, and influenza viruses contribute to this burden. Systematic surveillance and testing for influenza among hospitalized children has expanded globally over the past decade. However, only a fraction of the data has been used to estimate influenza burden. In this analysis, we use surveillance data to provide an estimate of influenza-associated hospitalizations among children worldwide.
Methods and Findings
We aggregated data from a systematic review (n = 108) and surveillance platforms (n = 37) to calculate a pooled estimate of the proportion of samples collected from children hospitalized with respiratory illnesses and positive for influenza by age group ( Influenza was associated with 10% (95% CI 8%–11%) of respiratory hospitalizations in children Conclusions
Influenza is an important contributor to respiratory hospitalizations among young children worldwide. Increasing influenza vaccination coverage among young children and pregnant women could reduce this burden and protect infants