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A recent study published on December 27 in JAMA Network Open has confirmed that the influenza vaccine is effective in preventing severe influenza-related illness among children. The study, led by Kelsey M. Sumner, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), highlights the vaccine’s role in reducing emergency department visits and hospitalizations, including those requiring critical care.
The researchers analyzed data from 15,728 children aged 6 months to 17 years across eight medical centers in various U.S. states. Participants presented with acute respiratory illness, and the study utilized a case-control design with a test-negative methodology. Of those tested for influenza, 17.2% had positive results, with 61.8% of these children requiring emergency department visits, 33.1% needing hospitalization for noncritical illness, and 5.1% requiring hospitalization for critical influenza complications.
Notably, 49.5% of both the influenza test-positive and test-negative children had received at least one dose of the influenza vaccine. The study found that the vaccine’s effectiveness (VE) in preventing influenza-associated emergency department visits or hospitalizations was 55.7%. Across various severity levels, the vaccine’s VE was similarly strong: 52.8% for emergency department visits, 52.3% for noncritical hospitalizations, and 50.4% for critical hospitalizations.
The researchers emphasized the importance of vaccination in protecting children from severe influenza, particularly during times when multiple respiratory viruses are circulating. “Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect children against influenza and its complications,” the authors stated, suggesting that increased vaccine uptake could help reduce the burden of influenza on healthcare facilities during peak respiratory seasons.
While the study found compelling evidence of the influenza vaccine’s effectiveness, several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.
The full study can be accessed in JAMA Network Open (DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.52512).
