A global team of researchers has demonstrated that amongst patients hospitalized for influenza, those that were vaccinated had less severe infections, including reducing the percentages for kids requiring admittance to an intensive care unit by almost half.

As well as, the researchers found that deaths amongst hospitalized adults, 65 or older, who had been vaccinated were 38% lower in comparison with those that had not been vaccinated.

“A typical grievance about influenza vaccine is that they’re typically 40-60% effective against infection – or the ‘what is the point?’ grievance. So it is crucial to notice that although everyone on this study was hospitalized, vaccinated individuals were less more likely to be severely in poor health or die, suggesting that you just are more likely to have far less severe consequences if vaccinated,” said Dr. Annette Regan, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health assistant professor of epidemiology and lead writer of the peer-reviewed research, published this week within the October edition of The Lancet Infectious Diseases. “That is a crucial point, especially in light of the upcoming influenza season coupled with ongoing COVID-19 activity, each this season and into the long run.”

Globally, influenza contributes to 9.5 million hospitalizations, 81.5 million hospital days, and 145,000 deaths annually. Vaccination offers the perfect approach to stopping influenza illness, reducing illness in the final population by 40–60%, experts say.

Specifically, The Lancet evaluation found that three groups routinely targeted for influenza vaccination experiences less severe illness. Children who had received only a part of their first series of influenza vaccines had 36% lower possibilities of being admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), and kids who had fully accomplished their first series of influenza vaccines had 48% lower possibilities of admission to ICU in comparison with unvaccinated children, the researchers found.

The study – “Severity of influenza illness related to seasonal influenza vaccination amongst hospitalized patients in 4 South American countries” – is the product of a global team of researchers from the US, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay, and drew on data from all 4 South American countries over a period of seven years. Data were obtained through the Network for the Evaluation of Vaccine Effectiveness in Latin America and the Caribbean, influenza (REVELAC-i) which is coordinated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

“Although several studies have reported drops in influenza illness following influenza vaccination, the outcomes have focused predominantly on adults in the US, and this study aimed to guage the severity of influenza illness by vaccination status in a broad range of age groups, and across multiple South American countries,” said Dr. Marta Von Horoch, a co-author who serves as coordinator of the National Immunization Program in Paraguay. “We were more than happy to work with our partners within the U.S. and across the continent, and these findings exhibit, quite clearly, the importance of influenza vaccination for kids and adults, irrespective of where they live.”

The study – the first-ever on this scale in South America – examined influenza-related hospitalization rates and outcomes across all 4 countries from 2013-19. Specifically, the analysts reviewed the outcomes for some 2,747 patients hospitalized with confirmed influenza virus infection, in three age groups – children aged 6–24 months, adults aged 18–64 years, and adults aged 65 years or older.

Given the truth that vaccination rates have fallen, within the U.S. and globally in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, including amongst children, the findings should help clarify the advantages of timely, pro-active immunization campaigns to the general public, the researchers said.

With influenza season approaching this winter and influenza vaccines now available, these results highlight the importance of getting vaccinated for flu for anyone six months of age or older – as CDC recommends. It’s critical that healthcare providers and the general public understand the risks of missing out on vaccinations – it’s so significantly better to forestall a serious illness than to suffer through it, for the patient and everybody of their community.”

Dr. Annette Regan, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

Source:

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health