Flu shot a must for diabetes sufferers, study says
All adults with diabetes could benefit from an annual flu shot, according to the results of a new study.
Dutch researchers report that both first and repeat influenza vaccinations reduce mortality and hospitalizations resulting from complications of respiratory infections in this population. Doctors at University Medical Center, Utrecht, examined the effectiveness of flu vaccinations in more than 9,000 older adults with diabetes during the 1999-2000 influenza A epidemic in the Netherlands.Getting a flu shot was associated with a 56% reduction in any complication, a 54% reduction in hospitalizations, and a 58% reduction in deaths, according to researchers. The report is published in the August issue of Diabetes Care.
