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In most developed countries, the elderly (aged 65 years and older) and folks with certain medical conditions, such as chronic pulmonary disease, are already targeted for annual influenza vaccination. Recently, attention has been drawn towards the question of whether to extend recommendations for vaccination to younger persons with out high-risk medical conditions, but little is known concerning the burden of influenza in these otherwise healthy individuals.

Eelko Hak (Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands) and his team estimated this burden by modelling influenza-associated mortality and hospitalisations inside the Netherlands more than a six-year period.

The study shows that influenza-associated hospitalisation occurs in all these younger age categories, but it is highest for kids below the age of two years. Among otherwise healthy adults below the age of 65 years, influenza-associated hospitalisations occur most often in those aged 50-64 years. In this age category, even influenza-associated mortality appears present.

The results indicate that persons not yet targeted for influenza vaccination in most countries are at risk for complicated influenza. One may wonder whether this justifies universal influenza vaccination and inclusion of younger otherwise healthy persons into the recommendation for annual influenza vaccination.

The European Respiratory Journal is the peer-reviewed scientific publication of the European Respiratory Society (far more than 8,000 specialists in lung diseases and respiratory medicine in Europe, the United States and Australia).

European Respiratory Society