The seasonal flu virus is a significant risk for babies and carries high rates of death for those under six month of age, according to the study authors. Although there is no vaccine for infants that young, “cocooning” — the process of administering the flu vaccine to pregnant mothers — seems to be mostly effective for passing protection on to babies, they found.
In the double-blind placebo study, the authors determined that the duration of vaccine protection against symptomatic influenza for young babies is likely limited to the first eight weeks of life. Between eight and 24 weeks, however, the vaccine had no significant effect on the likelihood of babies coming down with the flu.
“Estimating the period that infants can be protected through maternal vaccination has important implications, especially since currently there is no influenza vaccine licensed for use in infants younger than six months of age,” the authors concluded.
More articles on influenza:
Nasal spray flu vaccine is ineffective, CDC committee says
Febrile seizures after childhood vaccinations rare, according to study
Researchers find correlation between flu vaccine rates and racial discrimination
