Effectiveness of Influenza Vaccination of Day Care Children in Reducing Influenza-Related Morbidity Among Household Contacts

Abstract

In the past decade, the proportion of US children younger than 5 years in day care has increased substantially. Currently, as many as 70% of children younger than 5 years spend 10 or more hours per week in some form of out-of-home child care.¹ Numerous studies^2-7 have suggested that children in larger day care facilities are at greater risk for respiratory infections than are children cared for at home or in smaller child care settings (ie, ≤6 children). The increased risk of these illnesses is associated with excess morbidity and related medical costs for these children and may extend to their household contacts as well.