Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40528677›Full record

ArticleInfluenza and other respiratory viruses2025

Influenza Epidemiology in Finland During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Surveillance Data Analysis (2019-2024).

Ulrike Baum, Niina Ikonen, Oskari Luomala, Eero Poukka, Tuija Leino, Hanna Nohynek

Abstract read
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Article in Influenza and other respiratory viruses, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing 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

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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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Feasibility of conducting brand-specific influenza vaccine effectiveness studies in three Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Sweden.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
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

6 authors.

Ulrike BaumDepartment of Public Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-7456-8016
Niina IkonenDepartment of Public Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
Oskari LuomalaDepartment of Public Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
Eero PoukkaDepartment of Public Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID 0000-0001-5776-5897
Tuija LeinoDepartment of Public Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
Hanna NohynekDepartment of Public Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Finnish influenza surveillance system combines traditional virological surveillance and analyses of electronic health records. This paper describes the influenza epidemiology in Finland (population: 5.5 million) during and after the COVID-19 pandemic based on national surveillance data from 2019 to 2024.

methodsInfluenza incidence was evaluated based on three register-based outcomes: laboratory-confirmed infections, primary health care visits, and hospitalizations. Virus-type distributions were analyzed from respiratory specimens. In register-based analyses, vaccination coverage and vaccine effectiveness were assessed for the two cohorts universally included in the Finnish vaccination program: children aged ≤ 6 years and adults aged ≥ 65 years.

resultsThe 2019/2020 influenza epidemic ended with the introduction of COVID-19 containment measures. In 2020/2021, influenza was largely absent. The 2021/2022 epidemic peaked exceptionally late. Influenza activity returned to prepandemic levels in 2022/2023. None of the 717 sentinel specimens tested positive for B/Yamagata. Although the percentage of vaccinated young children was constant (31% [100,387/323,614] to 37% [126,984/346,344]), the percentage of vaccinated elderly people increased from 48% (577,404/1,211,732) in 2019/2020 to 63% (787,771/1,255,644) in 2021/2022. The vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization due to laboratory-confirmed influenza in young children and elderly people was 68% (95% confidence interval: 38%; 83%) and 42% (34%; 50%) in 2022/2023, respectively, and slightly lower in 2023/2024.

conclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic had two potentially lasting effects on influenza: elimination of the B/Yamagata lineage and improved vaccination coverage in the elderly population in Finland. To strengthen the Finnish influenza surveillance system, participation in sentinel surveillance must be improved.

Indexed as

COVID-19Influenza, HumanAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overChildChild, PreschoolEpidemiological MonitoringFemaleFinlandHospitalizationHumansIncidenceInfantInfluenza VaccinesInfluenza VaccinesCOVID‐19 pandemicFinlandinfluenzainfluenza vaccines

Identifiers

PMID40528677
PMCPMC12174475

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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.