Post-Pandemic Seroprevalence of H1N1 Infection in German Children
Author Information
Author(s): Rüdiger von Kries, Susanne Weiss, Gerhard Falkenhorst, Stephan Wirth, Petra Kaiser, Hans-Iko Huppertz, Tobias Tenenbaum, Horst Schroten, Andrea Streng, Johannes Liese, Sonu Shai, Tim Niehues, Hermann Girschick, Ellen Kuscher, Axel Sauerbrey, Jochen Peters, Carl Heinz Wirsing von König, Simon Rückinger, Walter Hampl, Detlef Michel, Thomas Mertens
Primary Institution: Institut für Soziale Pädiatrie und Jugendmedizin, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
Hypothesis
What is the incidence of H1N1 infections among children in Germany during the 2009/2010 season?
Conclusion
The study found high infection rates of H1N1 among older children, with about a quarter of those infected showing no symptoms.
Supporting Evidence
- 27.1% of unvaccinated children aged 1-4 had detectable antibodies.
- 53.5% of unvaccinated children aged 5-17 had detectable antibodies.
- 92% of vaccinated children aged 5-17 had detectable antibodies.
- Only 47.8% of vaccinated children aged 1-4 had detectable antibodies.
- 25.5% of children with HI titers reported no history of any infectious disease since June 2009.
Takeaway
The study looked at how many kids in Germany got sick from swine flu and found that older kids got sick more often than younger ones.
Methodology
The study collected serum samples from children aged 1 to 17 years across eight pediatric hospitals in Germany and measured antibody titers using a hemagglutination inhibition test.
Potential Biases
Potential recall bias in reporting infection history by parents.
Limitations
The study may not fully represent the population as it relied on children attending hospitals for care.
Participant Demographics
Children aged 1 to 17 years, with 26.3% aged 1-4 years and 73.7% aged 5-17 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 23.5–31.3 for 1-4 years; 95% CI: 50.9–56.2 for 5-17 years
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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