Kaiser Permanente Research Reaffirms Safety Of Flu Vaccine For Young Children

Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines
Article Date: 25 Oct 2006 - 0:00 PDT

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Parents wondering if they should get their young children immunized against influenza now have new information to make an informed decision and protect their kids from the flu. Researchers at Kaiser Permanente Colorado's Clinical Research Unit and a pediatrician at Denver Health studying the safety of the flu vaccine in young children have found the flu shot to be safe for children aged six to 23 months. The study is published in the October 25, 2006, issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study looked at more than 69,000 immunizations for more than 45,000 children, the largest number of children ever studied for flu vaccine safety. The records are part of a large database that links records at eight major health plans in the United States, including Kaiser Permanente Colorado. This Vaccine Safety Datalink is a powerful tool that allowed researchers to review any reason why a child saw a doctor up to six weeks after getting their shot and look for possible side effects. The study found very few instances that required medical attention, none of which were serious and significantly associated with the vaccine.

"We are very excited about these findings. Knowing that the influenza vaccine is safe for children between the ages of six months and 23 months is reassuring for both parents and pediatricians," said Simon Hambidge, M.D., Ph.D., principal investigator for the study, and a pediatrician at Denver Health. "As a researcher, it's reassuring to have such a large body of evidence to reaffirm the safety of the vaccine and eliminate the shot itself as a cause for why kids are getting sick. We also encourage parents to make sure that their children receive all their regularly scheduled immunizations along with the influenza vaccine so that they will be protected from many serious illnesses."

Influenza is a leading vaccine-preventable cause of illness and death in the United States. Children aged six - 23 months get hospitalized when they are sick with the flu at rates as high as adults over the age of 65. Two years ago the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended flu shots for this age group. This year, the CDC expanded its recommendation for children up to five years old. The best way to protect children from getting sick is to have them receive the flu vaccine.

For more on the study, listen to Dr. Hambidge via podcast at http://ckp.kp.org/newsroom/co.

This study is one of more than 100 research projects conducted every year by the Kaiser Permanente Colorado Clinical Research Unit. The Clinical Research Unit develops, conducts and translates high-quality research into practice and works to promote evidence-based practices and service-oriented, cost-effective medical care. The health plans that participate in the CDC's Vaccine Safety Datalink include: Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Group Health Cooperative, Health Partners and Marshfield. Harvard Pilgrim is the eighth site, but did not participate in this project.

Kaiser Permanente is a nonprofit health plan and the largest private health care provider in Colorado. Kaiser Permanente cares for more than 475,000 members in the Denver/Boulder and Colorado Springs areas. Kaiser Permanente physicians and care teams focus on prevention as well as curing disease, all in an effort to help patients live well and thrive. http://ckp.kp.org/newsroom/co

For more information on Kaiser Permanente Research, go to: http://blog.kaiser-permanente.org/research/

Kaiser Permanente
http://www.kaiserpermanente.org/

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