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Influenza vaccine in healthy preschool children
C Colombo1, L Argiolas, C La Vecchia
1Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, University of Sassari, Viale San Petro 12, 07100 Sassari, Italy. colombo@uniss.it
Insights
Influenza vaccination is safe and effective for healthy preschool children, significantly reducing illness rates and daycare absences. Further studies are needed to evaluate long-term disease impact.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Immunology
- Public Health
Background:
- Efficacy of influenza vaccination in healthy children remains incompletely defined.
- Previous studies have not conclusively established the benefits of influenza vaccination in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of influenza vaccination in healthy preschool-aged children.
- To assess the impact of influenza vaccination on disease incidence and healthcare utilization.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 344 healthy preschool children in Sardinia, Italy.
- Participants received two doses of a trivalent subvirion influenza vaccine or no treatment.
- Follow-up data on influenza-like illness and related outcomes were collected over a five-month period.
Main Results:
- Vaccinated children experienced a 67% reduction in influenza-like episodes compared to unvaccinated children.
- No significant systemic or local adverse reactions were observed post-vaccination.
- Vaccination significantly reduced mean daycare absenteeism from 2.3 to 0.5 days.
Conclusions:
- Influenza vaccination is demonstrated to be safe and effective in healthy preschool children.
- Vaccination led to a substantial decrease in influenza-like illness incidence and associated absenteeism.
- Long-term effects of influenza vaccination on disease rates require further investigation.
Background:
Studies of influenza vaccination in healthy children have not definitely answered the question of their efficacy.
Methods:
We have carried out a randomized trial in a well selected population of healthy preschool children in Sardinia, Italy. During October 1995, 344 children aged 1 to 6 years, were randomly assigned to receive influenza vaccine (n=177) or no treatment (n=167). Two doses of a trivalent subvirion vaccine, containing 15mg of highly purified surface antigens from the component strains A/Johannesburg/33/94-like, A/Singapore/6/86-like and B/ Beijing/184/ 93-like were administered. Follow-up data were collected from December 1, 1995 through April 30, 1996.
Results:
Seroconversion was documented in 17 out of 17 children. No specific systemic symptoms or severe local reactions were observed after vaccination. Influenza-like episodes, defined by the presence of fever and cough or sore throat that lasted at least 72 hours, occurred in 63 (37.7%) of unvaccinated children and in 22 (12.4%) of vaccinated ones. The corresponding reduction in disease incidence was 67% (95% CI: 0.59-0.74). Three episodes of otitis were observed among children in the control group versus zero among vaccinated children (p=0.07). Mean duration of day care center absenteism was significantly reduced by vaccination (2.3 days in unvaccinated and 0.5 day in vaccinated children, p<0.001)
Conclusions:
Influenza vaccine is safe and effective in healthy preschool children. However the favourable implications of vaccination on disease rate in subsequent years have to be evaluated.