Study shows flu vaccine effective against severe illness in kids

New Delhi, Dec 28: Influenza vaccine is effective for preventing severe influenza illness, including hospitalisation among children, according to a study.

The study led by researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed having at least one dose of influenza vaccine was estimated to be over 50 per cent effective in protecting children against influenza-related emergency department and hospital visits.

"Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect children against influenza and its complications, including severe illness and hospitalisation," said the researchers in the paper.

"Improving vaccine uptake in children may reduce influenza illness and, subsequently, emergency department and hospital visits in a time of increased respiratory virus co-circulation," they added.

For the study, published online in the JAMA Network Open, the team analysed data from 15,728 children aged 6 months through 17 years who presented for care with acute respiratory illness.

About 17.2 per cent of participants had positive influenza tests, while 82.8 per cent had negative.

Overall, 49.5 per cent of the children in the influenza test-positive and test-negative groups were vaccinated.

Among children of all ages, receiving at least one influenza vaccine dose was estimated to have vaccine effectiveness of 55.7 per cent for preventing influenza-associated emergency department visits or hospitalizations.

Across severity levels, the estimated vaccine effectiveness was similar: 52.8, 52.3, and 50.4 per cent for emergency department visits, noncritical hospitalisation, and critical hospitalisation, respectively.

Notably, the estimated influenza vaccine effectiveness was found to be the highest among children from 6 months to 8 years of age, ages at which children are at the highest risk for severe illness.

“These findings indicate that it is important for children to receive an annual influenza vaccine to protect against all levels of influenza illness severity, ranging from emergency department visits to critical hospitalised illness, during the influenza season,” the team said.