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The global state of influenza in children
Susanna Esposito1, Paola Marchisio, Nicola Principi
1Institute of Pediatrics, University of Milan. Fondazione IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena, Milan, Italy. susanna.esposito@unimi.it
Insights
Childhood influenza significantly impacts health and socioeconomic factors, necessitating wider vaccination. Influenza vaccines are safe, effective, and cost-beneficial for preventing illness and complications in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Influenza in children, including healthy ones, is a significant clinical and socioeconomic issue.
- Data show higher hospitalization, death, and outpatient visit rates than previously recognized.
- School days lost and household illness impact families, highlighting the broader consequences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical and socioeconomic impact of influenza in children.
- To assess the role of influenza vaccination in pediatric populations.
- To advocate for expanded influenza vaccination recommendations in children.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of recent data on influenza-related hospitalization, mortality, and outpatient visits in children.
- Evaluation of socioeconomic consequences, including school absenteeism.
- Review of global data on influenza vaccine immunogenicity, safety, tolerability, and effectiveness.
Main Results:
- Influenza poses a significant clinical and socioeconomic burden on healthy children and their families.
- Available influenza vaccines demonstrate good immunogenicity, safety, and effectiveness.
- Vaccination is a cost-effective preventive measure with substantial health benefits.
Conclusions:
- Influenza vaccination should be more widely recommended and utilized in children.
- Universal childhood influenza vaccination is a low-cost intervention with significant public health benefits.
- Healthy children are appropriate candidates for annual influenza vaccination.
Abstract:
Recent data concerning influenza-related hospitalization rates, deaths, outpatient visits, and drug consumption in otherwise healthy children have shown that childhood influenza is significantly more important than once believed. In addition to its clinical importance, influenza in healthy children can have substantial socioeconomic consequences for children, whose everyday activities are disrupted and who lose a significant number of school days, and their household contacts, who are frequently affected by similar illnesses. An overall evaluation of these data show that influenza in infants and children is a significant clinical and socioeconomic problem and that healthy children appear to be candidates for yearly vaccinations. Global evaluation of the impact of influenza in pediatric patients indicates that influenza vaccination should be more widely used than is usually recommended. All of the data regarding influenza vaccines indicate that the immunogenicity of the available preparations is good, and that they are safe, well-tolerated, and significantly effective in preventing influenza illness and its complications in both high-risk and otherwise healthy children. Moreover, the economic data indicate that universal childhood influenza vaccination is a low-cost preventive intervention that provides health benefits during epidemic and pandemic periods, supporting an extensive use of vaccination in childhood.
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