Study Reveals Flu Vaccination Benefits for Young Children

Research Overview

A recent study published in PLOS One examined the impact of flu vaccination on young children. Conducted in Canada, the research indicates that vaccinating children against influenza significantly reduces their risk of hospitalization due to respiratory complications from flu infections.

Study Details

The researchers analyzed the medical records of 9,547 children aged between six months and five years who were hospitalized during the influenza seasons from 2010-11 to 2013-14. Each child had a respiratory specimen collected and tested for the influenza virus.

Expert Insights

Jeff Kwong, the senior author from Public Health Ontario, highlighted the importance of this study. He noted that while influenza can lead to severe illness, there has been limited research assessing how effectively the flu vaccine prevents serious complications and hospitalizations in young children.

Findings on Influenza Hospitalizations

The analysis of the specimens revealed that 12.8% tested positive for the influenza virus. The study found that the risk of confirmed influenza-related hospitalizations was reduced by 60% in children who received the full vaccination and by 39% in those who were partially vaccinated over the four flu seasons.

Vaccine Effectiveness Across Seasons

The findings demonstrated that full flu vaccination provided statistically significant protection during three of the four flu seasons studied. In contrast, partial vaccination offered protection in two of the seasons. Notably, the effectiveness of the vaccine was greater in children aged 24 to 59 months compared to those aged 6 to 23 months.

Implications for Vaccination Recommendations

The results from this study bolster recent recommendations to vaccinate this group of high-risk individuals against influenza.

References

(1) Mayor S. (2017). Flu vaccine reduces children’s admissions for respiratory complications, study shows. Available: http://www.bmj.com/content/359/bmj.j5363. Last accessed 15th Dec 2017.
(2) Buchan SA, Chung H, Campitelli MA, et al. Vaccine effectiveness against laboratory-confirmed influenza hospitalizations among young children during the 2010-11 to 2013-14 influenza seasons in Ontario, Canada. PLoS One 2017;359:e0187834. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0187834. pmid:29149183.