[A young lady with shortness of breath during the coronavirus crisis]. / Een benauwde jongedame tijdens de coronacrisis.

A 16-year-old girl repeatedly visited a general practitioner during the coronavirus pandemic for progressive shortness of breath. Progressive orthopnoea was found as well. Her neck was swollen for two weeks and there was generalised itching for months. Given the nature of her symptoms, she was assessed at the coronavirus station. A diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was assumed. Due to limited testing capacity, the diagnosis was not confirmed. She was treated with supportive treatment that had no effect on her dyspnoea. Tunnel vision ensured that the symptoms that did not fit COVID-19, were not recognised. Moreover, a scheduled ultrasound of her neck was cancelled because of the coronavirus restrictions, which did not help matters. She was eventually admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit with respiratory failure associated with cervical and mediastinal Hodgkin lymphoma.

Which factors are important in adults' uptake of a (pre)pandemic influenza vaccine?

Since 2008, (pre)pandemic vaccines against H5N1 influenza have been available and pandemic vaccines against new influenza H1N1 are currently produced. In The Netherlands, the vaccination call for seasonal influenza among the recommended groups approximates 70%. These statistics raise the question if adults in Western societies are willing to get a (pre)pandemic influenza vaccination, for example, against avian H5N1 or swine-like H1N1 virus. A questionnaire was performed to determine the predictors of a negative intention to be immunized against pandemic influenza among adults. Demographical, behavioural and organisational determinants were studied. Thirty-four and five percent of the respondents were negatively intended to get a pandemic influenza vaccination in a pre-pandemic or pandemic phase, respectively. On the basis of six behavioural determinants negative intention to get a pandemic influenza vaccination can be predicted correctly in almost 80% of the target group. These determinants should be targeted in pandemic preparedness plans.