SS 290 Module 1 Worksheet

Topic

Article 1 (Lewis et al., 2023)

Article 2 (Tenforde et al., 2020)

Article 3 (Balasubramani et al., 2020)

Description of topic

Effectiveness of the flu vaccine during 2011-2016 seasons across different sites

Effectiveness of the flu vaccine across different age groups and regions

Effectiveness of the flu vaccine during the 2011-2016 influenza seasons with a focus on geographical differences

Audience for the article

Researchers, public health officials, medical professionals

Researchers, public health officials, healthcare providers, policy makers

Researchers, public health officials, epidemiologists

Ways of knowing

Empirical data from the CDC’s Influenza VE Network, genetic sequencing

Empirical data from CDC studies and additional research, observational data

Empirical data from the CDC’s Influenza VE Network, regional epidemiological data

Strength of argument

Strong; uses robust empirical data and genetic sequencing to explain variations in VE

Strong; detailed analysis of VE across different demographics and regions

Moderate; comprehensive data but with acknowledged limitations in sample sizes and regional differences

Use of data

High; detailed data from multiple seasons and sites, genetic analysis of virus strains

High; uses extensive CDC data, covers multiple regions and age groups

Moderate; detailed data from multiple seasons, but sample sizes limited in some regions

Conclusions

Moderate VE (19%-54%) with variations across seasons and sites; geographical differences noted

VE ranges from 19% to 60%; effectiveness varies by age group and region, especially lower in the elderly

Moderate VE (19%-54%) with site-specific variability; highlights importance of geographical and demographic factors

Bias(es)

Possible geographical biases due to differences in virus strains and types of vaccines used at different sites

Potential biases in data interpretation due to regional and age-related variations

Potential biases due to sample size limitations and unaccounted differences among sites