Measuring How Effective Flu Vaccine Is In Preventing Child Deaths

On average, three children in Wisconsin die from the flu every year. State health officials say there’s been one fatality (a teenager) so far this season.

A recent national study looks at how well the flu vaccine prevents death in children 18 and younger.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study published in the journal Pediatrics says children with underlying medical conditions who were vaccinated reduced their risk of dying from the flu by half. For healthy children, the risk was reduced even more; by nearly two-thirds.

But flu vaccination rates for kids in Wisconsin are below the national target of 70 percent, said Dr. James Conway, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

“So you know, we’re still just not doing a great job,” he said.

Conway said the flu vaccine suffers from a bad rap, such as media stories that surge when the vaccine is a poor match for the viruses going around. Plus, people sometimes mistake a bad cold for the flu, and the vaccine does not protect against the common cold.

Researchers determine a vaccine’s effectiveness differently than the public. The purpose of the vaccine is mainly to reduce hospitalizations and death, Conway said, not just prevent people from feeling crummy and missing work.

“You know what we really want to make sure people understand, is vaccines are designed to prevent severe disease, and if they completely prevent all disease, that’s a bonus,” he said.

Conway said the CDC study is important because it’s “the first big look back” at years when there were questions about how effective the flu vaccine was.

Flu vaccinations are not required in Wisconsin. School children are required to get other vaccinations such as measles, pertussis and mumps.