Influenza: an overview with a paediatric focus.

Influenza is a viral infection which affects people of all ages, it is usually a self-limiting disease but it can lead to complications. This article gives an overview of influenza, looking at the disease and its possible complications. It gives a brief overview of the seasonal changes to the virus and how the World Health Organization (WHO) collects data on this and then makes recommendations on the composition of the vaccination. It outlines the vaccination itself and the current UK recommendations for influenza vaccination. Last, it focuses on paediatric influenza vaccination; the current paediatric immunisation policy and the factors that would influence a change in this policy, including reliable country-specific data on hospitalisations, the possible economic and social costs or benefits and the logistics of supplying and administering a national paediatric programme.