Flu vaccine can prevent up to 80% of asthma ED visits

Immunisation against influenza can prevent about 60-80% of asthma attacks leading to ED visits or hospitalisation, according to findings from a meta-analysis.

A previous Cochrane Review of randomised controlled trials has found the evidence for vaccination to be “inconclusive”, but the authors of the current study, including several UK GP academics, say this is of limited value to clinicians and patients.

So they have included 35 studies — including RCTs, and observational and quasi-experimental studies — spanning 46 years in a bid to get clarity on the benefits of