Influenza
Influenza is estimated to cause three to five million cases and 250,000 to 500,000 deaths worldwide each year. The most severe influenza pandemic, in 1918, infected up to 50 percent of the world’s population and caused 20 to 50 million deaths worldwide. The use of antiviral drugs can lessen the severity of disease. Vaccines against seasonal influenza are made yearly to defend against currently circulating strains; however, vaccines against a potential influenza pandemic are not yet available.
More about influenza | View resources on influenza
Key resources
Emergence of a Novel Swine-Origin Influenza A (H1N1) Virus in Humans (2009)
An article that describes the findings of an assessment of the influenza A (H1N1) outbreak in the United States covering the period of April 15 to May 5, 2009.
Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Policy—Considering the Early Evidence (2009)
An article that reviews the
preliminary immunogenicity data on the influenza A(H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine
and emphasizes the need to
deploy vaccine quickly to reduce morbidity.
Influenza Virus Tracking System (2009)
A system that provides
tracking information of A(H5N1) influenza specimens/viruses shared with the World Health Organization through the Global Influenza Surveillance Network.
Featured PATH resources
Influenza Vaccine Strategies for Broad Global Access (2007)
An analysis of the current supply of influenza vaccines, the predicted demand for influenza vaccines in case of a pandemic, and new vaccine technologies that could provide for the world’s demand in a pandemic situation.
Understanding
Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness in Senegal (2009)
A
general overview of a large-scale, cluster-randomized trial that PATH is conducting in collaboration with the Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement and Institut Pasteur de Dakar to evaluate the total effectiveness of inactivated influenza vaccine among children in Senegal.
Page last updated: November 2009.
