Impact of influenza vaccination in the USA

Mortality from seasonal influenza remained high in the USA, despite high uptake of vaccination campaigns. In this study, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of the vaccination program on pneumonia and influenza-related mortality. Data were analyzed for the 2013-2014 to 2018-2019 winter seasons for adults and children over 6 months of age. The total number of influenza-related deaths over the period considered was 480,111. The cumulative vaccination rate was 46.7% for the population as a whole, and 64.8% for the over-65s. Vaccination was associated with statistically significant protection against the risk of pneumonia and influenza-related mortality.