Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39776956›Full record

ArticleGerms2024

Synthesizing and assessing influenza vaccine evidence: Strengths and limitations of the recent ECDC report on the effectiveness of new and enhanced influenza vaccines. Communication on: the "European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Systematic review update on the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of newer and enhanced seasonal influenza vaccines for the prevention of laboratory confirmed influenza in individuals aged 18 years and over. Stockholm: ECDC; 2024".

George Kassianos, Rok Civljak, Gerrit Adrianus van Essen, Oana Falup Pecurariu, Filipe Froes, Andrey Galev, Kadri Kõivumägi, Zuzana Kristufkova, Ernest Kuchar, Jan Kyncl and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Germs, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Traveling with chronic viral hepatitis.Tropical diseases, travel medicine and vaccines · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

George KassianosMD (Hons), Family Physician, 61 Plough Lane, Wokingham, RG40 1RQ, England, UK.
Rok CivljakMD, PhD, Department for Infectious Diseases, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia, and Department for Acute Respiratory Infections, Dr. Fran Mihaljevic University Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Zagreb, Mirogojska 8, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Gerrit Adrianus van EssenMD, PhD, Chair of the Dutch Influenza Foundation, Paladijnenweg 30, 3813 DJ Amersfoort, Netherlands.
Oana Falup PecurariuMD, PhD, Children's Clinical Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Transilvania University, 56 Nicolae Bălcescu Street, Braşov, Romania.
Filipe FroesMD, PhD, Chest Department, Hospital Pulido Valente, CHULN/ULSSM, Alameda das Linhas Torres 117, 1769-001, Lisbon, Portugal.
Andrey GalevMD, DSi, Military Medical Academy, Str G. Sofiiski 3, Bulgaria.
Kadri KõivumägiMD, University of Tartu, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, L. Puusepa 8, 50406 Tartu, Estonia.
Zuzana KristufkovaMD, PhD, MPH, Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Slovak Medical University, Limbová str. 14, 833 03, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Ernest KucharMD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics with Clinical Assessment Unit, Medical University of Warsaw, Zwirki i Wigury 63A, Warszawa 02-091, Poland.
Jan KynclMD, PhD, Department of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, National Institute of Public Health, Srobarova 48, 100 00 Prague 10, Prague, Czech Republic, and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruska 87, 100 00 Prague 10, Prague, Czech Republic.
Helena C MaltezouMD, PhD, National Public Health Organization, 3-5 Agrafon Street, Marousi, Athens, 15123, Greece.
Miloš MarkovićMD, PhD, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotica 1, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
Anne MosnierMD, Open Rome, 57 rue d'Amsterdam, 75008 Paris, France.
Raúl Ortiz de Lejarazu Y LeonardoMD, PhD, Emeritus Director and Scientific Advisor of the National Influenza Centre. Hospital Clínico Universitario and University of Valladolid, C/ Rondilla Sta. Teresa s/n 47010, Valladoild, Spain.
Alessandro RossiMD, University of Perugia, Italian College of General Practitioner and Primary Care, Piazzale Settimio Gambuli, 1, 06129 Perugia, Italy.
Jörg SchellingMD, FESPCH, Prof., General Practitioner, Röntgenstr. 2 82152 Martinsried, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

High quality research is critical for evidence-based decision making in public health and fundamental to maintain progress and trust in immunization programs in Europe. In 2024 the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) conducted an update of the 2020 systematic review to capture more recent evidence on of the efficacy, effectiveness of influenza vaccines in individuals aged 18 years and older in the prevention of laboratory-confirmed influenza. While this report was highly anticipated due to the strength of the protocol and processes put in place, during our assessment, we expressed two chief concerns. We are concerned by the grading of the evidence certainty applied and being unable to reproduce some data extracted in the report from the primary sources. While the systematic review benefited of strong methods and processes, the execution of the research protocol warrants revision due to the issues discussed. We encourage the ECDC to work towards an updated review within a reasonable time frame to avoid misinterpretation by decision-making bodies across Europe.

Indexed as

effectivenessInfluenzainfluenza hospitalizationlaboratory-confirmed influenzavaccines

Identifiers

PMID39776956
PMCPMC11703587

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.