Health services should consider vaccinating infants against the flu, Scandinavian researchers say.
Finnish researchers found an inactivated vaccine is effective – and say a programme could help prevent the spread of the virus.
Finland is the only European country to recommend vaccination of infants and for the latest research, some 631 children were studied. Some were vaccinated and some were not, allowing the researchers to assess the benefits of the vaccine.
They found the vaccine was 84 per cent effective against A strains of influenza – but much less against B strains. It was slightly less effective in preventing illness in children under the age of two.
Writing in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Terho Heikkinen, from Turku University Hospital, Finland, says: "These results provide clear evidence for effectiveness of the inactivated influenza vaccine even in the youngest children during seasons with normal influenza activity and a good antigenic match between the vaccine and the circulating strains of influenza.
"Our findings suggest that influenza vaccine recommendations should be reassessed in most countries."
* British infants may get a triple jab of six vaccines in a bid to improve take up rates, it has been announced.
Acting Chief medical officer Professor Sally Davies has written to the NHS stating that she is advising this new method.
Yesterday the department of health confirmed this was likely to become official policy.
Currently children receive one vaccination at 12 months and two more at 13 months – to give them protection against a total of six diseases that cause meningitis and a range of once common childhood viruses such as mumps and measles.
A department of health spokesman said: "Independent scientific research has shown that providing these vaccines at the same time is safe, effective and more convenient for parents."
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