Study finds flu vaccine helps reduce hospitalizations due to influenza pneumonia

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-10/vumc-sff101315.php

Public Release: 13-Oct-2015
Study finds flu vaccine helps reduce hospitalizations due to influenza pneumonia
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

More than half of hospitalizations due to influenza pneumonia could be prevented by influenza vaccination, according to a study led by investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"We estimated that about 57 percent of influenza-related pneumonia hospitalization could be prevented through influenza vaccination," said Carlos Grijalva, M.D., MPH, associate professor of Health Policy.

"The finding indicates that influenza vaccines not only prevent the symptoms of influenza, including fever, respiratory symptoms, and body aches, but also more serious complications of influenza, such as pneumonia that requires hospitalization.

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