title: Influenza vaccination in asthmatic children: effects on quality of life and symptoms.
abstract: This study aimed to detect the effect of influenza vaccination on quality of life, symptomatology and spirometry in asthmatic children. A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial in 696 (296 in 1999-2000 and 400 in 2000-2001) asthmatic children aged 6-18 yrs, which were vaccinated with either vaccine or placebo, was performed. Children participated for only one influenza season. They recorded symptoms in a diary and reported when symptom scores reached a predefined severity level. If this occurred research nurses visited them twice, first to take a pharyngeal swab and spirometry, and a week later to assess quality of life over the past illness week. Compared with placebo, vaccination improved health-related quality of life in the weeks of illness related to influenza-positive swabs. However, no effect was found for respiratory symptoms recorded in the diaries during those weeks. Similarly, no differences were found for quality of life in all weeks of illness or for respiratory symptoms throughout the seasons. Influenza vaccination was found to have a moderately beneficial effect on quality of life in influenza-positive weeks of illness in children with asthma.
authors.affiliation: Dept of General Practice, room Ff305, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, PO Box, 1738, The Netherlands. j.vanderwouden@erasmusmc.nl
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bueving
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: van der Wouden
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Raat
authors.forename: R M D
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bernsen
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: de Jongste
authors.forename: L W A
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: van Suijlekom-Smit
authors.forename: A D M E
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Rimmelzwaan
authors.forename: M Rutten-van
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mölken
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D011788:Quality of Life; D013147:Spirometry
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines