Study: Influenza Vaccination Reduced Influenza-associated Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits Among Children

Among children hospitalized or seen in the emergency department with respiratory illness during the 2018-2019 influenza season, a study compared influenza vaccination among children with and without laboratory-confirmed influenza and found that those with influenza were less likely to have had the influenza vaccine than children without influenza. Those were the findings of a study, “Vaccine Effectiveness Against Pediatric Influenza Hospitalizations and Emergency Visits,” published in the November 2020 issue of Pediatrics (published online Oct. 5). Researchers analyzed records of 1,792 hospital inpatients and 1,944 children with emergency department visits at seven pediatric medical centers that make up the New Vaccine Surveillance Network during the 2018-2019 influenza season. Influenza vaccination reduced pediatric influenza-associated hospitalizations and ED visits by 40%–60% from both predominant influenza A viruses.  The study demonstrated that, in this season, influenza vaccines prevented moderate to severe illness in children even when one of the vaccine components was not well matched with one of the circulating influenza viruses. While the overall burden of influenza disease in children varies by season, influenza is estimated to be associated with 12,000–46,000 hospitalizations among children each season. The authors conclude that the study supports the annual recommendation that all children 6 months and older should receive influenza vaccination.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.