Influenza Surveillance in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): 2012-2013 Influenza Season

Authors

  • Cynthia A. Lucero-Obusan Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Public Health, Washington, DC, United States; VHA Office of Public Health Surveillance and Research, Palo Alto, CA, United States
  • Mark Winters Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States; VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, United States
  • Patricia Schirmer Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Public Health, Washington, DC, United States; VHA Office of Public Health Surveillance and Research, Palo Alto, CA, United States
  • Gina Oda Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Public Health, Washington, DC, United States; VHA Office of Public Health Surveillance and Research, Palo Alto, CA, United States
  • Richard A. Martinello Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Public Health, Washington, DC, United States; Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
  • Victoria J. Davey Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Public Health, Washington, DC, United States
  • Mark Holodniy Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Public Health, Washington, DC, United States; VHA Office of Public Health Surveillance and Research, Palo Alto, CA, United States

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v6i1.5121

Abstract

Since 2009, VA Office of Public Health has monitored influenza and influenza-like-illness (ILI) activity using the VA's Healthcare Associated Infection and Influenza Surveillance System (HAIISS). Analysis of data from the 2012-2013 Influenza Season showed increases in outpatient visits, hospitalizations, telephone triage calls, total testing and positive influenza tests, indicating that the 2012-2013 season required more healthcare resource utilization.  Additionally, more Veterans ≥ 65 years of age sought care compared to the last 2 seasons. Strain characterization demonstrated HA epitope differences compared to vaccine strains. Vaccine procedure data showed that influenza immunization among VA patients could be improved upon.

Author Biography

Patricia Schirmer, Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Public Health, Washington, DC, United States; VHA Office of Public Health Surveillance and Research, Palo Alto, CA, United States

Dr. Schirmer is an Infectious Diseases physician and Medical Epidemiologist for the VA Office of Public Health Surveillance and Research. Her areas of expertise and interest include antimicrobial stewardship, hospital acquired infections, public health investigations, influenza and influenza-like-illness and syndromic surveillance. She is also a physician in the HIV clinic and a Hospital Epidemiologist for the VA Palo Alto Health Care System.

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Published

2014-03-09

How to Cite

Lucero-Obusan, C. A., Winters, M., Schirmer, P., Oda, G., Martinello, R. A., Davey, V. J., & Holodniy, M. (2014). Influenza Surveillance in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): 2012-2013 Influenza Season. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v6i1.5121

Issue

Section

Oral Presentations