THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF INFLUENZA VACCINATION IN OLDER PEOPLE: AN UMBRELLA REVIEW OF EVIDENCE FROM META-ANALYSES OF BOTH OBSERVATIONAL AND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDIES

Demurtas J, Celotto S, Beaudart C, Sanchez-Rodriguez D, Balci C, Soysal P, Solmi M, Celotto D, Righi E, Smith L, Lopalco PL, Noventa V, Michel JP, Torbahn G, Di Gennaro F, Pizzol D, Veronese N, Maggi S (2020)

Publication Type: Journal article, Review article

Publication year: 2020

Journal

Ageing Research Reviews Elsevier

Pages Range: 101118-

DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101118

Abstract

Vaccination is the main public health intervention to prevent influenza. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of influenza vaccination systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Peer-reviewed systematic reviews with meta-analyses of prospective studies that investigated the association of influenza vaccination with any health-related outcome, as well as RCTs that investigated the efficacy and safety of influenza vaccination, were included. Among 1,240 references, 6 meta-analyses were included. In cohort studies of community-dwelling older people influenza vaccination was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization for heart disease and for flu/pneumonia (strength of evidence: convincing). Evidence in lowering the risk of mortality in community-dwelling older people, of all deaths/severe respiratory diseases in high risk community-dwelling older people and of hospitalization for flu/pneumonia in case-control studies, was highly suggestive. In RCTs, influenza vaccination, compared to placebo/no intervention, was associated to higher risk of local tenderness/sore arm and to a reduced risk of influenza like-illness. Both these associations showed moderate evidence using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). In conclusion, influenza vaccination in older people seems safe and effective. Further, the evidence on safety and efficacy of vaccines in this population might benefit by an extension of the follow-up period both in RCTs and in longitudinal studies, beyond the usual 6-month period, in order to be able to evaluate the impact of vaccination on long term outcomes.

Authors with CRIS profile

Gabriel Torbahn Lehrstuhl für Innere Medizin (Geriatrie)

Involved external institutions

Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) ES Spain (ES) Bezmialem University / Bezmiâlem Vakıf Üniversitesi TR Turkey (TR) University of Liège (ULg) / Université de Liège BE Belgium (BE) Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE) IT Italy (IT) University of Padua / Universita degli Studi di Padova IT Italy (IT) Italian Agency for Development Cooperation / Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo IT Italy (IT) University of Bari Aldo Moro / Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro IT Italy (IT) University of Udine / Università degli Studi di Udine IT Italy (IT) Eskişehir City Hospital TR Turkey (TR) Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) / National Research Council of Italy IT Italy (IT) University of Geneva / Université de Genève (UNIGE) CH Switzerland (CH) Anglia Ruskin University GB United Kingdom (GB) University of Pisa / Università di Pisa (UniPi) IT Italy (IT)

How to cite

APA:

Demurtas, J., Celotto, S., Beaudart, C., Sanchez-Rodriguez, D., Balci, C., Soysal, P.,... Maggi, S. (2020). THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF INFLUENZA VACCINATION IN OLDER PEOPLE: AN UMBRELLA REVIEW OF EVIDENCE FROM META-ANALYSES OF BOTH OBSERVATIONAL AND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDIES. Ageing Research Reviews, 101118-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2020.101118

MLA:

Demurtas, Jacopo, et al. "THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF INFLUENZA VACCINATION IN OLDER PEOPLE: AN UMBRELLA REVIEW OF EVIDENCE FROM META-ANALYSES OF BOTH OBSERVATIONAL AND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDIES." Ageing Research Reviews (2020): 101118-.

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