News release: Colorado - Denver/Boulder

June 23, 2004

For more information, call:
Jacque Murphy Montgomery
Kaiser Permanente, Media Relations
Phone: (303) 344-7410
Pager: (303) 203-8243
E-mail: Jacque.Montgomery@kp.org

Kaiser Permanente researchers find shot vaccine effective for children

Denver, CO – A study by Kaiser Permanente researchers finds that despite the mismatch of last year's influenza vaccine, vaccinated children were less likely to seek care at their doctor's office or in an emergency room for flu and flu-like symptoms. The study was commissioned by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

A research team from Kaiser Permanente's Clinical Research Unit led by Debra Ritzwoller, Ph. D. and Eric France M.D., MSPH evaluated data from children younger than ten years old. Among the significant findings:

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Children less than ten years old who had received two doses of the flu vaccine were 27-50 percent less likely to have a medical office visit for flu-like symptoms than unvaccinated children.
Fully vaccinated children between six and 23 months were 49 percent less likely to contract flu or pneumonia than those unvaccinated.
Children between six and 23 months who only received partial vaccination (one versus two doses) were not protected from the flu.

The results of the Pediatric Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Study were presented today at the CDC-sponsored advisory committee of immunization practices (ACIP) meeting.

The study supports the recommendation by the ACIP that all children at risk of influenza complications receive the vaccine. That includes children between the age of six and 23 months, all children with chronic disorders of the lungs or heart such as asthma, those with diabetes and those receiving chronic aspirin therapy.

The study is one of more than 100 research projects conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Colorado Clinical Research Unit. The CRU develops, conducts and translates high-quality research into practice and works to promote evidence-based practices and service-oriented, cost-effective medical care. Investigators partner with prominent research institutions throughout the country including the Mayo Clinic, the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

Kaiser Permanente is a non-profit organization and the largest private health care provider in Colorado. It is rated among the top ten accredited health care organizations in the country for clinical quality by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Kaiser Permanente cares for more than 418,000 members in the Denver/Boulder and Colorado Springs areas. In the Denver/Boulder area, care is provided by a coordinated team of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, mental health counselors and physical therapists. In Colorado Springs, Kaiser Permanente cares for its members through an affiliated network of community-based physicians and other health care providers.