title: Clinical and socioeconomic impact of pediatric seasonal and pandemic influenza.
abstract: Influenza is frequent among otherwise healthy day-care and school-aged children. Recent studies have demonstrated its significant effect on various outcome factors, including significantly more school and parental work absenteeism, and secondary illnesses among family members. Other studies have shown that the potential benefit of vaccinating children against influenza extends to other members of their families, thus supporting earlier economic modeling analyses of immunization programs. Although there are some differences in the clinical and socio-economic impact of seasonal and pandemic influenza, the benefits of vaccination are similar in both cases. The vaccination of otherwise healthy children may significantly reduce direct and indirect influenza-related costs, which supports the recommendation to make wider use of influenza vaccine in healthy children of any age in order to reduce the burden of infection on the community.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Pediatric Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. paola.marchisio@unimi.it
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marchisio
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baggi
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bianchini
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Principi
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Esposito
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D053122:Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D058873:Pandemics; D012621:Seasons; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014611:Vaccination / Q000191:economics*
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines