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Pediatric influenza vaccination has been shown to reduce hospitalizations and deaths. Yet more children died of influenza in the United States during the 2024–2025 season than during any previously reported season. In this case–cohort study, researchers analyzed 1234 influenza-related deaths reported in the United States between 2016 and 2025 among children <18 years of age. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) was estimated by comparing the vaccination status in each case with expected vaccination coverage among similarly aged children in the same state of residence.
83% of deaths were in children who were not fully vaccinated.
VE against death was 80% overall: 87% in children without underlying medical conditions and 77% in children …