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What are the benefits of flu vaccination?

Flu vaccination can keep you from getting sick with flu.

  • Flu vaccine prevents millions of illnesses and flu-related doctor’s visits each year. For example, during 2016-2017, flu vaccination prevented an estimated 5.3 million influenza illnesses, 2.6 million influenza-associated medical visits, and 85,000 influenza-associated hospitalizations.
  • In seasons when the vaccine viruses matched circulating strains, flu vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of having to go to the doctor with flu by 40 percent to 60 percent.

Flu vaccination can keep you out of the hospital.

  • Flu vaccine prevents tens of thousands of hospitalizations each year. For example, during 2016-2017, flu vaccination prevented an estimated 85,000 flu-relatedhospitalizations.
  • 2014 study showed that flu vaccine reduced children’s risk of flu-related pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission by 74 percent during flu seasons from 2010-2012.
  • In recent years, flu vaccines have reduced the risk of flu-associated hospitalizations among adults on average by about 40 percent.
  • 2018 study showed that from 2012 to 2015, flu vaccination among adults reduced the risk of being admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) with flu by 82 percent.

Flu vaccination helps prevent the flu in people with chronic health conditions.

Vaccination helps protect women during and after pregnancy.

  • Vaccination reduces the risk of flu-associated acute respiratory infection in pregnant women by up to one-half.
  • 2018 study showed that getting a flu shot reduced a pregnant woman’s risk of being hospitalized with flu by an average of 40 percent.
  • Getting vaccinated can also protect a baby after birth from flu. (Mom passes antibodies onto the developing baby during her pregnancy.)
    • A number of studies have shown that in addition to helping to protect pregnant women, a flu vaccine given during pregnancy helps protect the baby from flu infection for several months after birth, when he or she is not old enough to be vaccinated.

Flu vaccination can save children’s lives.

  • A 2017 study was the first of its kind to show that flu vaccination can significantly reduce a child’s risk of dying from the flu.

If you do get sick with the flu, flu vaccination has been shown in several studies to reduce its severity.

  • A 2017 study showed that flu vaccination reduced deaths, ICU admissions, ICU length of stay, and overall duration of hospitalization among hospitalized flu patients.
  • 2018 study showed that among adults hospitalized with flu, vaccinated patients were 59 percent less likely to be admitted to the ICU than those who had not been vaccinated. Among adults in the ICU with flu, vaccinated patients on average spent 4 fewer days in the hospital than those who were not vaccinated.

Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you

…including those who are more at risk for serious complications from the flu, like babies and young children, older people and people with certain chronic health conditions.

Source:
CDC – Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine

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About I Vaccinate

I Vaccinate provides information and tools based on real medical science and research to help Michigan parents protect their kids. Support is provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Franny Strong Foundation.

You’ve got questions. That’s a good thing.

As parents, determining how best to protect our children can be overwhelming and confusing. We’re here to help.

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