Children born in October are less likely to get the flu

#Children #born #October #flu

In a US study, children born in October were more likely to get a flu shot, meaning they were less likely to get it. This is probably because in the USA, checkups usually take place in the birth months and October is an optimal time for the annual flu vaccination.

Results from over 800,000 children ages 2 to 5 suggest that month of birth influences both the timing of flu vaccination and the likelihood of getting the flu. The average flu diagnosis rate for children born in August was 3 percent, while it was 2.7 percent for children born in October. October was also the month in which children were most frequently vaccinated. Because checkups for young children in the United States tend to occur in the month of birth, children born in October are more likely to receive a vaccine at the right time.

According to the scientist, the results support the usual recommendation to vaccinate against viral flu in the fall. They also note, “Our results suggest that U.S. public health interventions focused on vaccinating young children in October may provide the best protection during typical flu seasons.”

In Germany, children are not vaccinated against flu across the board. The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) currently only recommends the annual flu vaccination for all children aged 6 months and over who are at higher risk of a severe course of the flu because they suffer from certain previous illnesses, such as:

• chronic diseases of the respiratory system (including asthma)
• Heart or circulatory diseases
• Liver or kidney disease
• Diabetes or other metabolic diseases
• chronic neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis
• Congenital or later acquired immune system disorders or HIV

Quelle: DOI 384/bmj-2023-077076