DO HEALTHY CHILDREN NEED TO GET VACCINATED?

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DO HEALTHY CHILDREN NEED TO GET VACCINATED?
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Rationale for childhood vaccination

• Annual influenza vaccine is widely
  recommendedfor children at high risk of serious
  or complicated influenza infection
• All children are at substantially increased risk
  for influenza-related hospitalisations
• In some countries healthy children aged 623
  months are encouraged to receive influenza
  vaccine
• As well as reducing the risk to their own health,
  it reduces influenza infection in their contacts
• May also reduce influenza infections in adults by
  interfering with the circulation of the virus in
  the community

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Assessment of vaccine efficacyin healthy children
Jefferson T et al. Lancet 2005 365 77380.
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Assessment of vaccine efficacyin healthy children
Jefferson T et al. Lancet 2005 365 77380.
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Influenza vaccination of children at day care
prevents illness in their contacts
60

• Unvaccinated household contacts of vaccinated day
  care childrenhad 42 less febrile respiratory
  illnessesthan the contacts of unvaccinated day
  care children

Contacts of
50
unvaccinated children
Contacts of
40
vaccinated children
Illness in unvaccinated
contacts ()
30
20
10
0
All respiratory
Febrile
illness
respiratory
illness
Hurwitz ES et al. JAMA 2000 284 167782.
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Influenza vaccination of children at day care
prevents illness in their contacts and reduces
impact on family
Contacts of unvaccinated children
Contacts of vaccinated children
20
15
Number
10
5
0
Earache
Antibiotics
Missed school
Physician visits
Adult missed work
Over-the-counter (OTC)medications
Hurwitz ES et al. JAMA 2000 284 167782.
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By courtesy of APACIAsia-Pacific Advisory
Committee on influenzawww.apaci-flu.com