May 27, 2009
Kids who get flu shots appear to end up in the hospital more.
A new Mayo Clinic study says children who get the annual flu vaccine, especially those with asthma, may be more likely to be hospitalized than children who don't get the shot.
However, researchers don't think its the vaccine that's sending them to the hospital.
They blame other health problems in these kids, which may be why they got a flu vaccine in the first place.
Doctors often urge the sickest people to get a shot since they're more at risk of the flu.
The study is based on data from nearly 300 kids who visited the Mayo Clinic for flu over a 7 year period.
Children, including children who had asthma, who got the vaccine were almost three times more likely to be hospitalized than those not inoculated.
Researchers presented the study at the the American Thoracic Society's Conference.