According to a new study even after getting a shot of influenza vaccine, there is no difference in asthma exacerbation among people who have taken and those have not. Influenza can be a serious problem for people with asthma, so vaccination seems like a sensible thing to do. But there have been concerns that the flu jab can make people's asthma worse. To find it this out researchers at Cleavland University School of Medicine did a thourough study in over 1000 patients, aged from 4-50. One group got the flu injection while the other got a placebo injection. After 15 days, the two groups swapped over, and hence everyone got both injections, in a different pattern.
Every day for two weeks after each injection, the patients were monitored for peak expiratory flow, asthma symptoms and time off school or work, all as a measure of asthma exacerbation. There was no significant difference - 20 per cent had exacerbations after flu injection, compared to 25 per cent after the placebo. The researchers conclude the flu jab is safe for people with asthma after all, and they should take it to prevent exposing themselves to the health complications of flu.
