title: Influenza vaccination in children with asthma: randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
abstract: There is little evidence that influenza vaccination reduces asthma exacerbations. We determined whether influenza vaccination is more effective than placebo in 6-18-year-old children with asthma. We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Parenteral vaccination with inactivated influenza vaccine or placebo took place approximately November 1, and children were followed until April 1 of the next year. Airway symptoms were reported in a diary. When symptom scores reached a predefined level, a pharyngeal swab was taken. Primary outcome was the number of asthma exacerbations associated with virologically proven influenza infection. Three hundred forty-nine children were assigned placebo, and 347 were assigned vaccine. Pharyngeal swabs positive for influenza were related to 42 asthma exacerbations, 24 in the vaccine group and 18 in the placebo group, a difference of 33% favoring placebo (31% after adjustment for confounders; 95% confidence interval, -34% to 161%). Influenza-related asthma exacerbations were of similar severity in both groups; they lasted 3.1 days shorter in the vaccine group (95% confidence interval, -6.2 to 0.002 days, p = 0.06). We conclude that influenza vaccination did not result in a significant reduction of the number, severity, or duration of asthma exacerbations caused by influenza. Additional studies are warranted to justify routine influenza vaccination of children with asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Herman J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bueving
authors.forename: Roos M D
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bernsen
authors.forename: Johan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: de Jongste
authors.forename: Lisette W A
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: van Suijlekom-Smit
authors.forename: Guus F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Rimmelzwaan
authors.forename: Albert D M E
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
authors.forename: Maureen P M H
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Rutten-van Mölken
authors.forename: Siep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Johannes C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: van der Wouden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014611:Vaccination; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated