We were pleased to hold the 13th Australian Influenza Symposium (AIS) on 28-29 October 2019, at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). The Symposium was attended by almost 200 delegates, including representatives from the biomedical, clinical, research, public health, government and industry sectors. The Symposium also welcomed a range of national and international speakers, including:

Ben Cowling, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

Janet A. Englund, Seattle Children’s Hospital/University of Washington Affiliate, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Seattle WA, USA

Belinda Herring, WHO Regional Office, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo

Jonathan L. Temte, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Hui-Ling Yen, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

The talks presented and discussion covered a wide variety of topics related to influenza, including:

influenza surveillance and community studies in different parts of the world

epidemiology: mapping, modelling and forecasting the incidence of influenza and effects of vaccination

the unusual 2019 influenza season in Australia

developments in methods of influenza detection and vaccination and potential policy impacts

recent developments in fundamental influenza research and commercial industry

A roundtable discussion considered how influenza surveillance in Australia could be improved, and a joint session between the AIS and Australian Respiratory Virology Meeting was also held, focusing on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

We would like to thank all of the speakers at the conference and everyone who attended. We also thank the staff at QUT for hosting the Symposium and their warm hospitality. The next Australian Influenza Symposium will be held in 2021.

Australian Influenza Symposium 2019 Program: Please click here to download.

Australian Influenza Symposium 2019 on Twitter: follow #AIS2019Bris

For enquiries about future symposiums please contact us

Symposium mailing list: please click here to be added to the mailing list

Please note: if you have attended AIS in the past you will be on the mailing list. If your contact details have changed, you can update your preferences by subscribing with your original details and following the prompts.

Registration for the Australian Respiratory Virology Meeting

Registration is required for Wednesday, 30 October, and is free - this includes morning and afternoon tea, and lunch.

Joint RSV session with the Australian Influenza Symposium

This session will be held on Tuesday afternoon following the Australian Influenza Symposium. You can indicate your attendance at this joint session when you register, below.

Please note: places are limited to 150. Whilst we do not charge a registration fee, there is a cost per head in providing catering, venue hire and associated costs of hosting the event, so "no-shows" can be very disppointing, particularly as we manage a waiting list with people who are keen to attend and who also appreciate a heads up so as they can book flights and accommodation. We ask that you keep these costs and circumstances in mind when you register, and if are unable to attend, please let us know as soon as possible.

Registration is now closed.

Abstract Submission for the Australian Respiratory Virology Meeting

Abstracts are invited for oral presentation on Wednesday, 30 October.

Abstract submission guidelines:

Abstracts must be a maximum of one A4 page in 12-point Arial font, including figures and tables.

Selected abstracts will be invited to deliver a 15-minute oral presentation (there will be no poster presentations).

Submissions must be received by Friday, 27 September 2019.

Submitting authors will be notified by email by Friday, 4 October 2019 if their abstract has been selected for an oral presentation.

Financial support:

Domestic economy return airfares to Brisbane, and accommodation, will be offered to presenters of selected abstracts (non-company).

Abstract submission is now closed.

For symposium enquiries please contact us

2009 Influenza Pandemic in Victoria - 10 year anniversary seminar

Please note that this event has already been held

28 May 2019

The Centre organised and hosted a half-day seminar at the Doherty Institute to commemorate 10 years since the 2009 influenza pandemic in Victoria. This was a significant event in the history of the Centre and for many of the organisations that it works and collaborates with, so we took the opportunity to reflect on what the 2009 pandemic was like and what lessons could be learned from it.

Presentations were given by several people who worked at the forefront of the pandemic response in 2009, including WHO influenza surveillance laboratories, the Victorian and Australian Government Departments of Health, hospitals, vaccine manufacturers and research groups. A panel discussion considered the question of whether we are in better position to manage an influenza pandemic now compared to 2009. Some of the themes that were raised through the different presentations and discussion included:

the importance of collaboration and communication between different organisations - highlighted by the effectiveness with which the Australian influenza community worked together in 2009, and the importance of maintaining those networks between emergencies

challenges in the surge capacity of resources and personnel to keep up with clinical, diagnostic surveillance and data management needs during the pandemic

recognition that different geographical areas within the country may experience different levels of infection at any given time, and that the national plan might require inter-jurisdiction flexibility

establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships, protocols and policies as much as possible in advance of a pandemic or emergency situation will help when such an event occurs

elements of disease severity and the public response to pandemics can provide unpredictable challenges

flexibility in ethical review is necessary to enable timely research that can inform pandemic control strategies

We would like to thank everyone who attended and participated in the seminar, and all of the speakers who were happy to recall and share their memories and impressions of the 2009 influenza pandemic.