CNN
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The 2022-2023 flu vaccine reduced the risk of flu-related hospitalization by nearly three-quarters among children and nearly half among adults, according to new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccinated adults were also about half as likely to have flu-related illnesses and emergency department visits.
the datapresented at the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting on Wednesday, showed consistent benefit in five vaccine effectiveness studies.
“Vaccination provided substantial protection against hospital, emergency department and outpatient illness at all ages,” said Dr. Mark Tenforde, medical officer in CDC’s division of influenza.
Tenforde added that flu vaccination provided significant protection among adults 65 years and older and immunosuppressed people, groups who are less likely to have an immune response to vaccination and more likely to develop serious flu complications.
Experts say the flu vaccine provides better protection than in previous years. Results presented by a surveillance network showed that adults who had received the flu vaccine were 44% less likely to visit an emergency department or urgent care center and 39% less likely to be hospitalized due to influenza illness or complications, compared to 25% vaccine effectiveness in preventing urgent care or emergency department visits and hospitalization during the 2021-2022 season.
The 2022-23 flu season was more severe and peaked earlier than previous seasons, with hospitalization rates in late November reaching levels not normally seen until December or January.
This season also saw the highest number of pediatric flu deaths since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with 111 reported deaths.
“Unfortunately, this is more than in 2020-21, for which one was reported, and 2021-22, for which 45 were reported,” said Dr. Lisa Grohskopf, medical officer with the CDC’s Division of Influenza and director of the CDC’s Vaccine Policy Unit.
Grohskopf said it was too soon to know if any of these children had underlying End-shutdown problems, but previous CDC investigations showed that most pediatric deaths occurred among unvaccinated children.
Flu activity in the US is currently low, with about 1.7% testing positive for the virus, but experts say it’s still not too late to get vaccinated.
“These data underscore that influenza vaccination may offer substantial benefit against influenza and its potentially serious complications,” says the CDC. on your website. “Although flu activity has returned to low levels at this time, CDC continues to recommend annual vaccination as long as flu is spreading in the community.”