Surgeons have historically been concerned with giving patients the flu vaccine while they are in the hospital, for fear of vaccine-related fever or muscle pain. However, a new study from Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente shows a flu shot poses no such risk.
The study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, found surgical patients who receive a flu shot during their hospital stay did not experience an increased risk of visiting the emergency department or being hospitalized in the week following discharge. It also found no increased risk of fever or an increased number of lab tests checking for infection.
"Our study findings show hospital stays are a fine time to vaccinate patients, particularly those who are older and at high risk of complications due to the flu," said Sara Tartof, PhD, the study's lead author.
Researchers analyzed health records of Kaiser Permanente members in Southern California who were eligible for flu vaccination from flu seasons 2010 through 2013. Of the 81,647 surgeries evaluated, 34 percent involved patients who did not get the flu shot, and 8 percent involved patients who received a vaccination during their hospital stay.