Influenza vaccination: also useful for younger diabetics

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MunichA flu vaccination is particularly important for people with chronic diseases such as asthma or cardiovascular problems. It is supposed to protect the already weakened body of the affected person from infection. Because not only do they get infected more easily, the flu is often particularly difficult for them. For this reason, type 2 diabetics should also get regular flu vaccinations. This applies to both seniors and sick adults of working age, report Canadian researchers.

Vaccination recommendation for seniors

For seniors - with or without type 2 diabetes - the recommendation also applies in Germany to get vaccinated against flu viruses on a regular basis. A research team led by Dr. Jeffrey Johnson from the University of Alberta in Canada. To do this, they evaluated the hospital data from a total of 99,781 vaccinated and non-vaccinated diabetics. 56,513 of them were between 18 and 65 years old (58 percent), the rest were 65 years old and older. The researchers compared how often all participants were treated in the hospital for flu-like symptoms, pneumonia, a real flu, but also for other complaints between 2000 and 2008. The scientists then compared the results with the information on age and vaccination status.

The young benefit almost as much as the elderly

It became clear that younger diabetics also benefit from vaccination: They had to be treated in hospital for flu or pneumonia by 43 percent less than their peers who were not vaccinated.This means that a flu vaccination is just as effective for younger diabetics as it is for older diabetics. These were 45 percent less likely to be hospitalized for flu if they had been vaccinated beforehand. Overall, the risk for the participating diabetics of having to be hospitalized in connection with a flu infection was six percent higher than in the non-diabetic control group.

"Our results show that diabetics of working age benefit almost as much from a flu vaccination as older people," the researchers explain. So far, however, a flu vaccination has been recommended primarily to older type 2 diabetics. These vaccination recommendations should therefore also apply to younger sick people and, above all, be implemented. Larger studies should now confirm this.

Complications from the underlying disease

In healthy people, the flu usually passes without complications and the symptoms can be treated well. However, anyone who suffers from an underlying disease such as asthma or diabetes has a higher risk of severe disease, which in the worst case can even be fatal. The fault is the already weakened immune system of those affected. That is why the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) also advises that people with chronic illnesses should be vaccinated against flu in good time. (jb)

Source: Lau D. et al. Effectiveness of influenza vaccination in working-age adults with diabetes: a population-based cohort study. Diabetologia. 01/24/2014

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