Flu shots keep older folks out of the hospital, study says

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/51105017/ns/health/

by Rachael Rettner, nbcnews.com
March 8th 2013

While the flu shot can be less effective in older adults, it may protect them from developing an illness severe enough to require hospitalization, according to a new study.

Last year's flu shot reduced the risk of being hospitalized as a result of the flu by about 71 percent in adults of all ages, and 77 percent in people ages 50 and older, the study found.

The findings are "reassuring in light of recent reports that flu vaccination can be less effective in older adults," said study researcher Dr. Keipp Talbot, an infectious disease researcher at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

A report released last month showed that the current flu shot did not do a good job of preventing older adults from catching the flu. Adults ages 65 and over who got the shot were just as likely to visit the doctor for flu symptoms as those who weren't vaccinated.

The importance of the new study is that it suggests that individuals who do get sick develop a less severe illness if they are vaccinated.

-----