Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 5, 1995 TAG: 9510050062
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL Q. HANEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: BOSTON LENGTH: Medium
Flu shots are not just for old folk. A study found that the annual fall vaccinations also keep working-age people healthier and more productive, reducing wintertime sick days by one-third.
The flu vaccine is strongly recommended this time of year for the nation's 60 million elderly, as well as for those with chronic diseases who risk serious complications if they catch the flu.
For the 87 million younger working Americans, though, the shots are generally viewed as a matter of personal choice.
The new study found that while these healthy adults face little risk of dying from the flu, preventing it offers striking advantages. Those getting the shots have fewer bouts of upper respiratory illnesses, miss less work and have lower medical bills.
``I'm not saying that all healthy working adults should get flu shots, but it's an important consideration, and it would most likely be beneficial in most years,'' said Dr. Kristin L. Nichol, who directed the study.
Her study, conducted at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis, was published in today's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. It was partially financed by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota and Connaught Laboratories, which makes a flu vaccine.
``We need to look at this vaccine again in working adults and decide if this should be part of the national recommendations,'' commented Dr. Arnold Monto of the University of Michigan.
In the study, 849 adults ages 18 to 64 from the Minneapolis area randomly received either genuine flu vaccinations or dummy shots last fall. Nobody knew at the time who got which.
Through the winter, the volunteers kept track of their upper respiratory illnesses, which were defined as sore throats accompanied by either a fever or cough. Many germs besides the flu virus can trigger these ills, and the researchers did not try to sort out the true cause.
In follow-up through last March, they found:
Those getting flu shots reported 25 percent fewer episodes of upper respiratory illnesses. There were 105 bouts for every 100 vaccinated people, compared with 140 among each 100 people in the unvaccinated comparison group.
The vaccinated volunteers took 43 percent fewer days of sick leave for upper respiratory illnesses and 36 percent less sick time for all causes.
The vaccinations caused no side effects other than a sore arm.
Flu shots typically cost about $10 when given in a clinic. Prices in a doctor's office may be higher. Medicare pays for flu shots for the elderly.
The researchers calculate that for every $1,000 spent on flu shots for working adults, their medical bills are reduced by an average of about $1,600, because they make fewer doctor visits.
by CNB