Influenza Vaccination Reduces Pneumonia Severity During Flu Season

In 2,368 German patients evaluated during the influenza season, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) was less severe in those who had received influenza vaccination than in those who had not, according to findings from an observational, multicenter cohort study. Severity of CAP on hospital admission was assessed using the CURB score, which includes four criteria: confusion, blood-urea nitrogen level, respiratory rate and blood pressure.

CAP in vaccinated patients was significantly less severe (odds ratio for CURB score ≥1 was 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60-0.98). These patients also experienced significantly better overall survival within the six-month follow-up period (hazard ratio 0.63, 95% CI, 0.45-0.89). As expected, within an off-season cohort of 2,632 patients, there was no significant influence of vaccination status on CAP severity or disease outcome. The investigators concluded that prior influenza vaccination was associated with less-severe clinical course and improved overall long-term survival in patients with CAP during influenza season.