TORONTO - As provinces and territories get ready to roll out their annual flu shot programs, new research suggests vaccinating little kids could significantly reduce hospital visits during flu season.
The study compares emergency department visits to children's hospitals in Boston and Montreal after the United States adopted a policy of recommending flu shots for kids aged two to five years old.
The study shows emergency department visits for flu-like complaints declined by 34 per cent at the Children's Hospital of Boston when compared to the Montreal Children's Hospital.
The authors can't say for sure the difference was due to flu shots, because they don't know what percentage of kids in each city got flu vaccine in the years studied.
But the study, which is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, suggests flu shots probably contributed to the sharp difference in emergency room visits during flu season.
?? The Canadian Press, 2011