Flu Vaccine Aimed At All School-Aged Children

Flu-shot season begins this month, and the vaccination is being pushed to all children for the first time. 

The major change is a result of new evidence showing children as key flu spreaders. Over four winters, Harvard researchers matched sick adults in Boston-area emergency rooms with Census data for 55 zip codes.  The flu struck the worst, and quickest in zip codes with the most children.

For every 1 percent increase in child population, there was a 4 percent increase in adult ER visits.

"The impact of kids and the flu is clear," says study co-author John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Children’s Hospital Boston. "It doesn’t mean the areas without kids are protected from flu. It just means they experience flu later and at lower rates."

Flu vaccine was previously recommended for children under 5, but this year the government is recommending children from 6 months to 18 years be vaccinated.  The change will expand the inoculations to 30 million more school children.  The change is expected to cut missed school days for children, missed work days for parents, and researchers hope it will protect entire communities from the influenza virus.

"We’re all very enthusiastic and anticipate seeing an indirect benefit, but that’s something we need to study and carefully watch," says Dr. Jeanne Santoli of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The change could be especially important for those ages 65 and older, who account for the majority of the 36,000 flu-related deaths each winter. 

Research suggests that flu vaccines protect up to 90 percent of young people, but only protects 30 percent of senior citizens.  In recent years, more seniors have been getting vaccinations, but it has not resulted in a drop in their death rate.

Scientists still urge older Americans to continue getting vaccinated as they search for ways to make the vaccinations more effective. 

Helping to drive the new vaccinate-all-children advice is the belief among researchers that doing so will limit the transmission to the elderly. Though there have been no definitive studies, evidence from New York City, and Carroll County, MD show that the method could be effective.

Dr. Brownstein’s new government paid study will track the community impact of vaccinating more school-age children.

—

On the Net:

• Harvard
• Children’s Hospital Boston
• CDC