# 2930
Children are notorious spreaders of respiratory infections. Just ask any parent who has little ones in school or daycare.
Not only do they spread cold and flu germs among themselves, they bring them home to their parents, and to other family members.
No one knows, of course, just how many elderly relatives end up in the hospital every year due to exposure to a grandchild with the flu – but the assumption is that it is not a trivial number.
There are public health doctors who strongly believe that we could reduce the burden of influenza all across society if we simply targeted children for the flu vaccine each year.
In an attempt to quantify the benefits to society of vaccinating children against influenza, researchers in Sydney, Australia are undertaking a new study:
Scientists trial flu vaccine on Sydney infants
Australian scientists are trialing a flu vaccine on infants from 40 Sydney childcare centres.
Professor Robert Booy from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance says while infants overseas and in Western Australia can already receive flu shots, no research has actually shown how beneficial it is.
Professor Booy says his team is particularly interested to see if the vaccine affects the rate of parents contracting the flu from their children.
"So the question we've asked is; can we vaccinate the children and observe a benefit not only in them but a secondary benefit in their parents," he said.
"[They] don't get ill and similarly so they don't have to take time off work so there's social and economic advantages."
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