Flu Vaccine can Reduce Risk of Flu-Related Pneumonia, Study Finds

The annual flu vaccine goes above and beyond protecting the body from the seasonal flu viruses.

According to a new study led by Dr. Carlos Grijalva, people who get the vaccine appear to have a lower risk of developing flu-related pneumonia. For this study, the team examined data on roughly 2,800 child and adult patients who were hospitalized for pneumonia. The patients were checked into four U.S. hospitals between January 2010 and June 2012. About six percent of the patients were diagnosed with flu-related pneumonia.

The researchers looked at the patients' flu vaccination history. After comparing the risk of developing flu-related pneumonia in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients, the researchers concluded, "influenza vaccination was associated with a reduced risk of influenza pneumonia that required hospitalization."

"Influenza vaccine can substantially reduce the risk of hospitalizations for influenza pneumonia, a serious complication of influenza infections," said Dr. Grijalva, who is an associate professor of health policy at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville reported by WebMD. "We estimate that approximately 57 percent of hospitalizations due to influenza pneumonia could be prevented by influenza vaccination."

Although the study found a reduced risk of flu-related pneumonia in vaccinated people, the researchers did not find that the vaccine itself prevents pneumonia.

Every year, the flu sends roughly 200,000 people to the hospital. Since the virus can be particularly dangerous for young children, older adults and people with compromised immune systems, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends people as young as six-months-old to get the vaccine.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).