Research Indicates Flu Vaccine Safeguards Children from Severe Illness
Click to start listening
New Delhi, Dec 28 (NationPress) The influenza vaccine has proven effective in preventing severe cases of influenza, including hospitalization among children, as per a recent study.
This research, conducted by experts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that receiving at least one dose of the influenza vaccine is estimated to be over 50 percent effective in shielding children from influenza-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
According to the researchers, “Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect children against influenza and its associated complications, such as severe illness and hospitalization.”
They further noted, “Enhancing vaccine uptake among children may lower the incidence of influenza illness and subsequently reduce visits to emergency departments and hospitals during periods of increased respiratory virus circulation.”
The findings, published online in the JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from 15,728 children aged between 6 months and 17 years who sought care for acute respiratory illnesses.
Of those studied, approximately 17.2 percent tested positive for influenza, while 82.8 percent tested negative.
Overall, 49.5 percent of children in both the influenza-positive and negative groups had received the vaccine.
For all age groups, the effectiveness of receiving at least one dose of the influenza vaccine was estimated at 55.7 percent in preventing emergency department visits or hospitalizations due to influenza.
The effectiveness across various severity levels was found to be consistent, with estimates of 52.8 percent, 52.3 percent, and 50.4 percent for emergency department visits, noncritical hospitalizations, and critical hospitalizations, respectively.
Importantly, the study revealed the highest vaccine effectiveness among children aged 6 months to 8 years, a group particularly vulnerable to severe illness.
These conclusions highlight the necessity for children to receive an annual influenza vaccine to guard against all levels of influenza illness severity, from emergency visits to critical hospitalizations, during the influenza season,” the team emphasized.
