- Vaccine bid on children
- By Laurie Nowell
- The Herald Sun
- 29/03/2009 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: The Rooster ( 258 articles in 2009 )
EVERY Australian child would be vaccinated against the flu under a plan being proposed by leading infant health experts.
The push comes after a trial of pediatric influenza vaccinations reduced hospitalisations for flu in under-5s by almost 90 per cent.
And it follows new data showing flu rates in children under two are now seven times higher than for the elderly.
The immunisation trial, carried out in Western Australia, was the first in Australia.
The results, released during the week, showed two doses of the vaccine were 88 per cent effective at preventing hospital admission with an influenza-related condition in those younger than five years.
And laboratory-confirmed influenza among young children was almost halved in flu season compared with the previous year, the 2008 trial showed.
Royal Children's Hospital pediatric infectious diseases physician Jim Buttery said the trial indicated parents were receptive to the benefits of an influenza vaccination.
"There are reasons why we think an immunisation program might be a good idea and things like this trial provide us with valuable information," Dr Buttery said.
"And now some people are saying all kids under five should be immunised."
Pediatric immunologist Peter Richmond said the trial showed the vaccine was safe and well tolerated.
National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance deputy director Kristine Macartney presented new national data to the annual scientific meeting of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases during the week.
It showed influenza-related hospitalisations were higher in children younger than five years than in adults older than 65.
Dr Macartney said when it came to developing policy on universal flu shots for children, the burden of disease was only one piece of the puzzle, with issues such as vaccine effectiveness and acceptability yet to be determined.
Source: https://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,25256288-661,00.html
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