Jennie H. Kwon, DO, MSCI, Associate Professor of Medicine, Section Director, Healthcare Epidemiology & Antimicrobial Stewardship, WashU Division of Infectious Diseases, has received a new contract from the CDC to investigate how influenza (flu) spreads within households and whether vaccines reduce transmission of flu. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the study aims to provide valuable insights into the household transmission of influenza.
Dr. Kwon, is leading the study alongside a team of experts, including Dr. Stacey House, Dr. Rachel Presti, and Dr. Stephanie Fritz. The Respiratory Virus Transmission Network, a national collaborative effort, will enroll individuals who test positive for influenza and track the transmission of the virus within their households.
By following the daily symptoms and collecting specimens from family members, researchers will compare the risk of infection between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. The Respiratory Virus Transmission Network for Influenza (RVTN-Flu) is designed to estimate how influenza (flu) spreads within households and whether vaccines reduce transmission of flu. Other sites in the national network include Columbia University and Vanderbilt University.