Repeated flu injections save lives

Vaccinating the elderly against the flu spared lives, and giving the shots yearly prevented the deaths of about one out of every 200 patients in a new Dutchstudy.

Coming as United States health authorities contend with a shortage of flu vaccine this year, the six-year study by researchers at Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam showed that vaccinations saved the largest proportion of lives among those over 80.

In study participants older than 65, a first vaccination reduced the risk of death by 10 per cent, which was not considered significant. But those who were revaccinated either the next year or in a succeeding year had a 24 per cent lower risk of dying, showing that repeating vaccinations had the greatest impact.

In those older than 80, revaccination reduced the risk of death by 31 per cent.

Among those who skipped a vaccination, their risk of dying rose 25 per cent.

Between 64 per cent and 74 per cent of the 26,000 elderly people studied were vaccinated in a given year between the years 1996 and 2002, when flu epidemics were rated as mild to moderate in severity. During the period, 3485 patients died.

The protection provided by flu vaccinations applied whether the person had other illnesses or not, study author A.C.G. Voordouw wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"Because influenza vaccination is inexpensive and safe, clinicians should recommend annual influenza revaccination for such patients."

- REUTERS