Vaccinating children 'may curb flu transmission'

Vaccinating children 'may curb flu transmission'

Immunising school-aged children against seasonal flu could reduce transmission of the virus and pass on protection to unvaccinated individuals, new research suggests.

According to a study carried out at Canada's McMaster University, vaccinated children could act as a barrier to prevent the spread of the disease to others.

The research looked at almost 950 vaccinated children between 36 months and 15 years of age living in the tight-knit Canadian Hutterite religious colonies.

Scientists also tracked the health of unvaccinated community members to determine whether they could benefit directly from the children's protection.

The results showed that immunisation was 61 per cent effective at indirectly preventing illness among unvaccinated people living in the community.

Researchers aid the findings "offer experimental proof to support selective influenza immunisation of school-aged children…to interrupt influenza transmission".

The Irish Health Service Executive currently lists anyone over the age of 65 and healthcare workers among the at-risk groups for whom flu vaccine is recommended.

Nursing home residents, home carers and younger people with illnesses such as chronic lung or heart disease are also considered priority cases.