Patients With Asthma Can Benefit from Getting the Flu Vaccine

Over a period of 6 influenza virus seasons, the seasonal flu vaccine provided meaningful protection for asthma patients, according to the results of a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Investigators from the University of Edinburgh examined patient data from 223 primary care practices in Scotland in order to estimate the effectiveness of the flu vaccine in adults and children with asthma. The patients, including children older than 6 months of age, were seen from the 2010-11 flu season to the 2015-16 season. The study authors explained that having the flu is a trigger for asthma attacks, but uptick of flu vaccines in asthma patients often remains low. They thought concerns about vaccine effectiveness may be behind this low vaccination rate.