Letter to the editor: Increase of influenza vaccination coverage rates during the COVID-19 pandemic and implications for the upcoming influenza season in northern hemisphere countries and Australia

Abstract

We read with interest the collection of articles 'Spotlight influenza 2021' recently published in Eurosurveillance [1]. This collection highlights some important features of the unusual 2020/21 northern hemisphere influenza season and the accompanying editorial recommends preparedness measures for the upcoming 2021/22 season [2].

The authors suggest that vaccination may have contributed to the low influenza circulation in 2020/21 and use the example of Spain where influenza vaccination coverage rates (VCRs) increased across different target groups during the 2020/21 winter [2]. We would like to bring further evidence regarding this point by providing VCR data published by 10 northern hemisphere countries and Australia (Table), with a particular focus on elderly people.