Flu Shots May Protect Children From Severe COVID-19

University of Missouri (UM) School of Medicine researchers announced on February 4, 2021, they have discovered that children who receive a seasonal influenza vaccination are less likely to suffer symptoms from a COVID-19 infection.

This study's finding comes from a review of more than 900 children diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2020.

Anjali Patwardhan, M.D. said in a UM press statement, “It is known that the growth of one virus can be inhibited by a previous viral infection."

“This phenomenon is called virus interference, and it can occur even when the first virus invader is an inactivated virus, such as the case with the flu vaccine," added Dr. Patwardhan, professor of pediatric rheumatology and child health at UM.

The UM study, “The Flu Vaccination May Have a Protective Effect on The Course of COVID-19 in the Pediatric Population: When Does Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) Meet Influenza,” was published in the journal Cureus on January 6, 2021.

The U.S. CDC recommends annual influenza vaccinations for most people over six months of age.