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Influenza vaccination is the
most important way of preventing and attenuating
influenza infection and preventing mortality in
people at risk of complications.1
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A link between reduced asthma
exacerbations and influenza vaccinations has not
been established in well designed clinical trials to
date.6
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Australian guidelines recommend
influenza vaccination for people with severe asthma
who require frequent hospitalisation.1
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There is no evidence that influenza
vaccination leads to exacerbations of asthma or an
increase in bronchospasm following administration.6
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Annual influenza vaccination for all
persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD) is recommended.1,7 Evidence from
randomised controlled trials has shown that inactivated
vaccine may reduce the number of exacerbations that
people with COPD develop, and reduce the number of
people that develop exacerbations.2 Influenza
vaccination has also been shown to reduce
influenzarelated acute respiratory illness in people
with COPD, regardless of disease severity.8
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There is no evidence that influenza
vaccination leads to exacerbations of COPD.2
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Influenza vaccination for people with
coronary artery disease is associated with a reduction in
the risk of myocardial infarction, sudden death and stroke.3,9
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Annual influenza vaccination is recommended
for children and adults with chronic cardiac conditions
including coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure
and cyanotic congenital heart disease.1
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Observational studies suggest that influenza
vaccination reduces hospitalisation and death associated with
influenza in people with diabetes and those with congestive
cardiac failure.10-12 Annual influenza vaccination is
recommended for children and adults with diabetes.1
