Age is not just a number-synopsis of the 5th New Zealand Influenza Symposium 2019.

Presented is a synopsis of the 5th New Zealand Influenza Symposium, which focused on both uptake of the influenza vaccine and the long-term consequences of influenza. Particularly highlighted were the advantages of influenza vaccination for older adults in reducing declines in cognitive and physical health. Research findings from influenza surveillance, future of influenza vaccines and the influenza promotional campaign presented at the symposium are summarised.

Seasonal influenza and vaccination strategies-is a paradigm shift needed? A synopsis of the 3rd New Zealand Influenza Symposium, November 2016.

Influenza continues to be a global public health problem despite the availability of preventive vaccines and public health vaccination programmes. This paper presents a synopsis of the 3rd New Zealand Influenza Symposium (NZiS) that was hosted by the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) in November 2016. Experts and service providers convened to discuss current issues in the prevention and management of influenza. One of the key topics discussed was the use of novel vaccines, such as adjuvanted and high-dose vaccines, and antiviral prophylaxis to protect young children and the elderly. Another area of focus was on paradigms of seasonal influenza vaccination strategies that reduce community transmission and provide individual protection to reduce the burden of influenza. The need for better influenza surveillance and country-specific data to guide policy makers and healthcare providers was highlighted in order to improve population health outcomes.

What's new with the flu? Reflections regarding the management and prevention of influenza from the 2nd New Zealand Influenza Symposium, November 2015.

Influenza is a common respiratory viral infection. Seasonal outbreaks of influenza cause substantial morbidity and mortality that burdens healthcare services every year. The influenza virus constantly evolves by antigenic drift and occasionally by antigenic shift, making this disease particularly challenging to manage and prevent. As influenza viruses cause seasonal outbreaks and also have the ability to cause pandemics leading to widespread social and economic losses, focused discussions on improving management and prevention efforts is warranted. The Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) hosted the 2nd New Zealand Influenza Symposium (NZiS) in November 2015. International and national participants discussed current issues in influenza management and prevention. Experts in the field presented data from recent studies and discussed the ecology of influenza viruses, epidemiology of influenza, methods of prevention and minimisation, and experiences from the 2015 seasonal influenza immunisation campaign. The symposium concluded that although much progress in this field has been made, many areas for future research remain.

Pertussis control strategies: A consistent approach for New Zealand. Synopsis of Ministry of Health Workshop, April 2015.

In the past decade, pertussis has made a global resurgence, driving reconsideration of national immunisation schedules and vaccine usage. A workshop held by the Ministry of Health in 2015 discussed New Zealand's pertussis disease control strategies. Data were presented from current research into vaccine safety during pregnancy and the effectiveness of the immunisation schedule in preventing pertussis throughout childhood. The greatest burden of disease and mortality remains in infants under 1 year of age, especially infants too young to be immunised, those of Maori and Pacific ethnicity, and those living in deprivation. The workshop considered strategies including the timing of the scheduled vaccines, maternal immunisation, improving immunisation coverage, vaccination timeliness and service delivery to reduce inequalities and overall disease burden. It concluded that the current infant schedule appears to be working well to protect older infants from severe pertussis. Significant gains for reducing severe disease in vulnerable young infants could be made with improvements in maternal vaccine uptake. Other strategic directions include attention to schedule adherence and timeliness of vaccine delivery, and more effective communication approaches for healthcare professionals and the public.