No Evidence Flu Vaccine Works in Kids, Study Finds

February 27, 2005

By Patricia Reaney

Reuters

Friday, February 25, 2005; 8:35 AM

LONDON - There is no evidence that vaccinating children under two years old

against influenza reduces deaths or complications from the illness,

researchers said on Friday.

They reviewed 25 studies that looked at the impact of vaccines in cutting

the number of cases of influenza and its symptoms in children up to 16.

Children under 2 are vaccinated against flu in the United States and Canada.

" Immunization of very young children is not lent support by our findings, "

said Dr Tom Jefferson, of the Cochrane Vaccines Field in Rome, part of the

international Cochrane Collaboration that evaluates medical research.

" We recorded no convincing evidence that vaccines can reduce mortality,

admissions, serious complications and community transmission of influenza, "

he added in a report in The Lancet medical journal.

Influenza vaccine campaigns are usually targeted at people over 65.

U.S. and Canadian health officials have recommended that children aged 6-23

months should also be immunised.

Last year the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its guidelines, saying

healthy babies under 2 should be routinely immunised against the virus. It

followed recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention.

Each year, influenza kills an average of 36,000 Americans and puts 114,000

in hospital.

" In young children below the age of 2, we could find no evidence that the

vaccine was different from a placebo, " Jefferson told Reuters.

He added that the findings do not mean vaccinations do not work in young

children but they found no evidence that it does. There was no indication

the vaccines caused any harm or reason to believe they were unsafe.

The findings are part of a bigger Cochrane Review expected to be released

later this year.

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