Are you planning to get a flu shot this year? Elderly individuals may be advised to get influenza vaccinations to reduce their risk of getting pneumonia, but the potential benefit of vaccination is still controversial. In the August 2 issue of The Lancet, researchers from the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle, Washington and their colleagues reported that flu vaccination is not effective in reducing pneumonia among the elderly.

This study evaluated a group of over 3000 people aged 65 to 94 - of these participants, 1173 people had an episode of pneumonia during the study period, while 2346 did not. After taking into account the underlying health status of these study participants, the researchers found that influenza vaccination did not result in a decreased risk for community-acquired pneumonia.

While this study suggests that getting a flu shot does not reduce the risk of developing pneumonia, it does not address the issue of whether influenza vaccination causes any harm or provides other health benefits in elderly patients. So, when flu season approaches, it is still a good idea to talk to your doctor about whether or not you should get an influenza vaccination.