A case-control study of elderly patients with acute respiratory illness: effect of influenza vaccination on admission to hospital in winter 2003-2004
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Authors
Colleges, School and Institutes
Abstract
Every winter, hospitals face a large increase in emergency respiratory admissions in elderly people. A case-control study was undertaken to assess the effect of routine influenza vaccine in preventing such admissions among a cohort of UK elderly presenting with acute respiratory illness during winter 2003-2004. 157 hospitalised cases and 639 controls (matched for age, sex and week of consultation) were interviewed. In a winter typical of levels of circulating influenza in recent years, influenza vaccine did not show a protective effect on emergency respiratory admissions overall (adjusted OR 1.2 (95%CI 0.8, 1.9). Policy makers should not rely solely on influenza vaccine routinely having a large effect on winter pressures, and should focus on additional preventive strategies.
Details
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 7909-13 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Vaccine |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 46 |
Publication status | Published - 14 Nov 2007 |