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Risk factors associated with severe influenza infections in childhood: implication for vaccine strategy

Caroline Quach1, Lorraine Piché-Walker, Robert Platt

  • 1Infectious Disease Division, Department of Pediatrics, Province of Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.

Pediatrics
|September 2, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Most children hospitalized for influenza are not in current vaccine target groups, highlighting a need to reevaluate vaccination strategies. Expanding influenza vaccination could significantly reduce hospitalizations in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Vaccinology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Influenza virus infections cause significant childhood hospitalizations, particularly during winter months.
  • Current influenza vaccination guidelines primarily target children over six months old within specific risk groups.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the benefits of universal influenza vaccination.
  • To characterize children hospitalized with influenza at Montreal Children's Hospital (MCH).
  • To identify risk factors associated with influenza-related hospitalizations in children.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of laboratory-proven influenza cases in children at MCH from 1999 to 2002.
  • Analysis of patient records including demographics, diagnoses, and vaccination status.
  • Statistical analysis using Student t test and logistic regression to identify risk factors.

Main Results:

  • 182 children were hospitalized due to influenza; 114 were not.
  • Common admission diagnoses included sepsis, lower respiratory tract infections, asthma, and bronchiolitis.
  • A significant proportion of hospitalized children (34%) were under six months old and 70% had no underlying medical conditions; only 18% met current vaccination criteria.

Conclusions:

  • The current influenza vaccination strategy needs reevaluation as most hospitalized children fall outside recommended risk groups.
  • One-third of hospitalized children were infants under six months, a group not typically targeted.
  • Expanding influenza vaccination to all young children, additional high-risk groups, and pregnant women may reduce the disease burden.
Abstract

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