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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Its recommended that children older than six months get a flu vaccine each year to prevent the substantial illness caused by influenza. However, according to a new study, flu vaccines did not prevent hospitalizations or reduce physician visits for influenza in children during two recent flu seasons.
Researchers from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., studied children age five and younger who developed influenza during the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 flu seasons (November through March). The children who contracted influenzas vaccination records were compared to children who did not contract influenza.
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Significant influenza vaccine effectiveness could not be demonstrated for any season, age or setting after adjusting for county, sex, insurance, chronic conditions recommended for influenza vaccination and timing of influenza vaccination, researchers were quoted as saying.
Poor effectiveness could be blamed on a less than optimal match between the strains of influenza in the vaccines and the strains circulating in the public during those two seasons. Study authors believe this research should be combined with research from years with good vaccine matches before an accurate assessment of the flu vaccines effectiveness can be made.
SOURCE: Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine, 2008;162:943-951
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