Flu risk rises for babies with older siblings

INFANTS are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill with influenza if they have older brothers or sisters, research has shown, leading to calls for older siblings to vaccinated.

Children can easily pass viruses on to their vulnerable younger siblings, said researchers at University College London and Great Ormond Street Hospital. However, vaccinations are not available for children under six months, so parents are being encouraged to have older children inoculated to avoid the virus spreading.

Dr Pia Hardelid, of University College London’s Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, said: “Children are very effective spreaders of respiratory viruses like flu. Our study suggests older siblings pose a risk of infection for their baby sisters and brothers.”

The study examined health and birth records of almost all children born in Scotland between October 2007 and April 2015 – some 400,000 in total. More than 1,000 children were admitted to hospital with flu.

Compared with being first born, children under six months who had one older sibling were twice as likely to be admitted. For those with two or more older siblings, the risk tripled.

The findings are reported in the European Respiratory Journal.