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Within influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) studies at primary care level with a laboratory-confirmed outcome, clinical case definitions for recruitment of patients can vary. We used the 2022–23 VEBIS primary care European multicentre study end-of-season data to evaluate whether the clinical case definition affected IVE estimates. We estimated VE using a multicentre test-negative case-control design. We measured VE against any influenza and influenza (sub)types, by age group (0–14, 15–64, ≥65 years) and by influenza vaccine target group, using logistic regression. We estimated IVE among patients meeting the European Union (EU) acute respiratory infection (ARI) case definition and among those meeting the EU influenza-like illness (ILI) case definition, including only sites providing information on specific symptoms and recruiting patients using an ARI case definition (as the EU ILI case definition is a subset of the EU ARI one). We included 24 319 patients meeting the EU ARI case definition, of whom 21 804 patients (90 %) meet the EU ILI case definition, for the overall pooled VE analysis against any influenza. The overall and influenza (sub)type-specific VE varied by ≤2 % between EU ILI and EU ARI populations. Among all analyses, we found similar VE estimates between the EU ILI and EU ARI populations, with few (10%) additional non-ILI ARI patients recruited. These results indicate that VE in the 2022–23 influenza season was not affected by use of a different clinical case definition for recruitment, although we recommend investigating whether this holds true for next seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assistive technologies (ATs) promote participation and inclusion in society, and support access to health, social services, education, work and other important life experiences for persons with disabilities, older people and those with chronic conditions. The Global Report on Assistive Technology, launched in May 2022 by WHO and UNICEF, calls for concrete actions to improve access to AT globally, and recognizes AT as both a means to, and an end itself, in the achievement of rights of persons with disabilities. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD, 2006) is the most widely ratified human rights convention, affirming the right to participation in society on an equal basis with others. In this paper, we highlight examples of how AT may play a role in realizing each of the fundamental rights affirmed in the UNCRPD. We conducted an indicative literature search for relevant literature to each of the substantive articles of the CRPD. Assistive technology plays a critical role in achieving the rights affirmed by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Ensuring adequate provision of AT by states parties is critical to the progressive realization of the rights of persons with disabilities and to fulfilling commitments made by states parties upon ratification of the CRPD. Assistive technology (AT) is critical to enable full participation of persons with disability in society and the achievement of rights affirmed by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Governments and other key stakeholders should endeavour to improve access to AT through inclusive, evidence-informed programs and services. Advocacy is required to improve access to AT through universal health coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]