October may be the best time for seniors to get the flu shot

(HealthDay) – It may be best for older people to wait until October to receive their flu shots, unless that prevents them from being vaccinated, according to a study published in the July issue. April of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Kenneth J. Smith, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine, has developed a model to compare the likelihood of influenza in vaccinated seniors under the status quo (August to May) to maximize vaccine uptake or compressed immunization from October to May (decrease the decreasing effect of vaccine efficacy). The model is based on data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on influenza incidence and vaccination parameters, as well as previous badyzes showing that the absolute efficacy of the vaccine was decreasing. 6 to 11% per month.

The researchers found that the compressed vaccination, if it did not decrease the uptake of the vaccine, would prevent at least 11,400 cases of influenza in the elderly during a normal season. However, if the number of influenza cases decreases because of the compression of vaccination or the early peak season of the influenza season, there would be more cases of influenza. In probabilistic susceptibility badyzes, compressed vaccination was never preferred if it had reduced the absolute intake of the vaccine by more than 5.5%, regardless of the scenario. Vaccination with the status quo was favored when the flu reached an early peak.

"There is controversy within the public health community about whether influenza vaccination should take place as soon as the vaccine is available in August, or whether it is better to wait until later in the year. autumn, "Smith said in a statement. "What we have found is that it is a balancing exercise, but if a clinician thinks that a patient will come back to be vaccinated at In the autumn, our badysis shows that it is best to advise this patient to wait. "

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