A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine states that the flu vaccine applied to children avoids the incidence in families. The specialists of the University of Maryland (Baltimore, USA), affirm that a vaccination program in schools is a good option for public health.
The study collects data obtained in 28 schools that were divided into two groups. In 11 schools it was offered to apply the flu vaccine, which after parental consent, 47% of children aged between 5 and 14 were vaccinated during the fall, in the rest of the schools they did not offer the vaccine.
Entered during the flu season, the relatives of the children belonging to the schools studied were requested to fill in a questionnaire about possible symptoms, treatments, casualties, etc. The result was clear, the incidence of influenza in families was much lower in the homes of children belonging to the schools that had opted for the vaccine, than in the families of the control schools, and in these data it was not taken into account. It counts whether the children of the first schools had been vaccinated by parental consent.
Undoubtedly, it seems a good strategy to prevent seasonal infection, because although influenza is not usually a serious process in children, these are a key factor in infection.
