The Epidemiology, Phylogeny, and Strain Antigenicity of an Influenza A/H3N2 Virus Outbreak Among Vaccinated US Navy Midshipmen

Simon D Pollett; Emily Hone; Stephanie A Richard; Kat Schmidt; Mark P Simons; Michele Wayman; Jennifer Rothenberg; Vivian Hogan; Robert J O'Connell; Timothy H Burgess; Daniel Ewing; Appavu K Sundaram; Anthony C Fries; Drake H Tilley; Rhonda E Colombo

doi:10.1111/irv.70184

The Epidemiology, Phylogeny, and Strain Antigenicity of an Influenza A/H3N2 Virus Outbreak Among Vaccinated US Navy Midshipmen

Simon D Pollett^*, Emily Hone, Stephanie A Richard, Kat Schmidt, Mark P Simons, Michele Wayman, Jennifer Rothenberg, Vivian Hogan, Robert J O'Connell, Timothy H Burgess, Daniel Ewing, Appavu K Sundaram, Anthony C Fries, Drake H Tilley, Rhonda E Colombo

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We performed epidemiological, genetic, and antigenic characterization of an influenza A/H3N2 outbreak in a congregate setting of young adults with high vaccination rates. We noted substantial duty-days lost, rapid spread, and vaccine antigenic divergence. The risk of influenza in healthy vaccinated adults underscores the need to develop universal influenza vaccines.

Original language	English
Article number	e70184
Journal	Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses
Volume	19
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/irv.70184
State	Published - Dec 2025

Keywords

US navy
epidemiology
influenza A/H3N2
outbreak
phylogeny
vaccinated

Access to Document

10.1111/irv.70184

Cite this

Pollett, SD., Hone, E., Richard, SA., Schmidt, K., Simons, MP., Wayman, M., Rothenberg, J., Hogan, V., O'Connell, RJ., Burgess, TH., Ewing, D., Sundaram, AK., Fries, AC., Tilley, DH., & Colombo, RE. (2025). The Epidemiology, Phylogeny, and Strain Antigenicity of an Influenza A/H3N2 Virus Outbreak Among Vaccinated US Navy Midshipmen. Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses, 19(12), Article e70184. https://doi.org/10.1111/irv.70184

@article{26d1415d4af94bdf8623be0cd31ec9da,

title = "The Epidemiology, Phylogeny, and Strain Antigenicity of an Influenza A/H3N2 Virus Outbreak Among Vaccinated US Navy Midshipmen",

abstract = "We performed epidemiological, genetic, and antigenic characterization of an influenza A/H3N2 outbreak in a congregate setting of young adults with high vaccination rates. We noted substantial duty-days lost, rapid spread, and vaccine antigenic divergence. The risk of influenza in healthy vaccinated adults underscores the need to develop universal influenza vaccines.",

keywords = "US navy, epidemiology, influenza A/H3N2, outbreak, phylogeny, vaccinated",

author = "Simon D Pollett and Emily Hone and Stephanie A Richard and Kat Schmidt and Mark P Simons and Michele Wayman and Jennifer Rothenberg and Vivian Hogan and Robert J O'Connell and Timothy H Burgess and Daniel Ewing and Appavu K Sundaram and Anthony C Fries and Drake H Tilley and Rhonda E Colombo",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 Henry M Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1111/irv.70184",

language = "English",

volume = "19",

journal = "Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses",

issn = "1750-2640",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd",

number = "12",

}

Pollett, SD, Hone, E, Richard, SA, Schmidt, K, Simons, MP, Wayman, M, Rothenberg, J, Hogan, V, O'Connell, RJ , Burgess, TH, Ewing, D, Sundaram, AK, Fries, AC, Tilley, DH & Colombo, RE 2025, 'The Epidemiology, Phylogeny, and Strain Antigenicity of an Influenza A/H3N2 Virus Outbreak Among Vaccinated US Navy Midshipmen', Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses, vol. 19, no. 12, e70184. https://doi.org/10.1111/irv.70184

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Epidemiology, Phylogeny, and Strain Antigenicity of an Influenza A/H3N2 Virus Outbreak Among Vaccinated US Navy Midshipmen

AU - Pollett, Simon D

AU - Hone, Emily

AU - Richard, Stephanie A

AU - Schmidt, Kat

AU - Simons, Mark P

AU - Wayman, Michele

AU - Rothenberg, Jennifer

AU - Hogan, Vivian

AU - O'Connell, Robert J

AU - Burgess, Timothy H

AU - Ewing, Daniel

AU - Sundaram, Appavu K

AU - Fries, Anthony C

AU - Tilley, Drake H

AU - Colombo, Rhonda E

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 Henry M Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - We performed epidemiological, genetic, and antigenic characterization of an influenza A/H3N2 outbreak in a congregate setting of young adults with high vaccination rates. We noted substantial duty-days lost, rapid spread, and vaccine antigenic divergence. The risk of influenza in healthy vaccinated adults underscores the need to develop universal influenza vaccines.

AB - We performed epidemiological, genetic, and antigenic characterization of an influenza A/H3N2 outbreak in a congregate setting of young adults with high vaccination rates. We noted substantial duty-days lost, rapid spread, and vaccine antigenic divergence. The risk of influenza in healthy vaccinated adults underscores the need to develop universal influenza vaccines.

KW - US navy

KW - epidemiology

KW - influenza A/H3N2

KW - outbreak

KW - phylogeny

KW - vaccinated

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105023334992&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/irv.70184

DO - 10.1111/irv.70184

M3 - Article

C2 - 41315053

AN - SCOPUS:105023334992

SN - 1750-2640

VL - 19

JO - Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses

JF - Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses

IS - 12

M1 - e70184

ER -