Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 28 studies. The studies were published from 2005 to 2019. Researchers searched the PubMed and Embase databases to identify the studies, which focused on effectiveness of the flu vaccine against flu-related hospitalization among children, aged 6 months to 17 years.
Researchers found the flu vaccine was 57.48 percent effective at preventing children from being admitted to a hospital for the flu. The vaccine effectiveness against flu-related hospitalization was 74.07 percent for the H1N1 flu strain and 50.87 percent for the influenza B strain.
Also, flu vaccination offered higher protection in children who were fully vaccinated (61.79 percent), compared to those who had not received all the recommended childhood vaccines (33.91 percent).
“In the pediatric population, influenza vaccination offered significant protection against influenza-related hospitalization and complete annual vaccination should be encouraged,” researchers concluded.
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