Does Annual Influenza Immunization Benefit Older Patients?

Well before influenza vaccine was recommended for all adults, it was recommended mainly for those older than 65 to try to forestall the clear age-related increases in disease complications and death. However, the evidence for clinical benefit from vaccinating older adults remains remarkably scanty and flawed. Randomized trials have been underpowered to confirm decreases in hospitalization or death, and observational studies have had all the usual inherent biases.

Researchers designed a “regression discontinuity” analysis of vaccination rates and influenza-related illness from several large British clinical databases assembled back when many adults were not vaccinated until age 65. They confirmed the expected surge in the proportion of vaccin…