Comparison of the prevalence of influenza in the field troops who have received influenza vaccine, with a group that have not vaccinated in the common flu seasons

Background: Use of vaccine against influenza is a routine procedure of public health for influenza prevention especially in hospital health care for personnel and army soldiers. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of influenza in the field troops who have received influenza vaccine, with a group who have not been vaccinated in the common flu seasons.

Materials and Methods: In this study 100 (persons of health care) healthy subjects and 100 soldiers referred to Tehran 501 army hospital were elected. Case group had been vaccinated and control group did not. Every 2 weeks to 4 months, both groups evaluated by a physician for general symptoms. If the symptoms appeared, throat swab specimen from the individual samples were taken and transported to the laboratory for real time PCR. The data were analyzed using SPSS software and Chi-square and t test.

Results: In case group, from 23 samples that evaluated in the laboratory, Frequency of distribution influenza B were negative in 21 cases and 1 case was positive for influenza B (91.3%, 4.3%). In control groups from 27 samples that evaluated in the laboratory, Frequency of distribution influenza B was negative in 19 cases and in eight cases were positive (70.4%, 29.6%). Incidence of seasonal influenza B with Chi-square test (the) in case group was significantly higher in comparison with the control group (P<0.03). Incidence of influenza A in all 49 samples in both groups (negative and positive) wasn’t observed (p = 0.001).

Conclusion: Our study showed that there was a significant difference between people who received influenza B vaccines and those who didn’t receive the vaccine in army hospital in terms of manifestation sans and there was a significant reduction of B influenza in people who received influenza B vaccines Than those who didn’t received the vaccine.