Flu vaccine monitoring in UK to include teenagers for first time

The UK’s independent Drug Safety Research Unit, which monitors the safety of the annual flu vaccine in children, will include teenagers in its research for the first time, the organisation has announced.

The decision was made after Public Health England (PHE) said it would include all secondary school pupils in its autumn influenza vaccine rollout. PHE opted to include all children aged two to 16 in the rollout to help with the government’s efforts in reducing flu levels this winter.

It’s believed that Covid-19 lockdowns will have drastically reduced flu transmissions and the associated immunity within the last 18 months.

The Drug Safety Research Unit (DSRU) near Southampton, has monitored the flu vaccine – Fluenz Tetra – in children since 2014 as part of enhanced safety surveillance (ESS) measures. The study, which includes recording and analysing all reported side effects, allows researchers to rapidly detect any increase in the frequency or severity of local and systemic adverse events, and to identify unexpected suspected adverse drug reactions following vaccination with Fluenz Tetra.

The research will begin in September, when vaccinations start. The DSRU is working closely with GPs and school immunisation teams to include 10,000 child and adolescent vaccinees in the study. Vaccinees (or parents of younger vaccinees) will be asked to complete a study report card if they notice any adverse reactions. This can be done online too.

DSRU researchers will review study data each week during the early flu season, and findings will be summarised in a final report expected in February 2022.