Women Have Higher Risk for Solicited Reactions After Flu Shot
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Sept. 29, 2023 -- The risk for solicited reactions following influenza vaccine is higher for women than men, according to research published online Sept. 28 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Marilou Kiely, Ph.D., from the University of Montreal, and colleagues obtained data from phase 3 randomized controlled trials to explore sex differences in adverse events following seasonal influenza vaccines. Risk ratios (RRs) comparing solicited reactions in women versus men were pooled; the risk for bias and I2 statistic for heterogeneity was assessed. The main analysis was stratified into younger and older cohorts (18 to 64 years and 65 years and older).
Data were included for 34,343 adults from 18 studies (12 with individual-level data and six with aggregate data). The researchers found that the risk for injection site reactions was higher in women versus men for both younger and older participants, with RRs of 1.29 and 1.43, respectively. For systemic reactions, the risk in women was also higher, with RRs of 1.25 and 1.27 for younger and older participants, respectively. The risk for severe reactions was also elevated in women, with higher RRs in younger versus older participants for systemic reactions (RRs, 2.12 and 1.48, respectively). No variation was seen in RRs between quadrivalent and trivalent vaccines.
"We found a higher risk of solicited reactions following influenza vaccines in females compared with males," the authors write. "Transparent disclosure of this risk could increase the trust in public health authorities and limit vaccine hesitancy."
One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted September 2023
Read this next
SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Does Not Increase New-Onset Seizure Risk
TUESDAY, April 30, 2024 -- There is no risk for new-onset seizure incidence for individuals receiving a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine versus...
Most Moms-to-Be Interested in RSV Vaccination During Pregnancy
THURSDAY, April 25, 2024 -- More than half of women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant are very likely to get vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)...
2011 to 2021 Saw Increase in Vaccination Timeliness for Infants
MONDAY, April 15, 2024 -- From 2011 to 2021, there was an increase in vaccination timeliness among U.S. children aged 0 to 19 months, according to a study published online April...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.