A team of Dutch experts has claimed that allowing children to fall ill with seasonal flu may protect them against more dangerous pandemic strains. Skip related content
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Seasonal flu 'may protect against swine flu'
The scientists say that vaccinating children aged six months to five years against seasonal flu might not be in their best interests.
Flu jabs for healthy children are recommended in the US and some European countries, but not currently in the UK.
The three Dutch doctors, led by Dr Guus Rimmelzwaan, from Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, set out their view in an article published online by The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
They said their research showed that infection with "seasonal" influenza A viruses could induce immunity against unrelated sub-strains. One new sub-strain of influenza A is the H1N1 virus responsible for swine flu. Another is avian or bird flu which, although very rare in humans, can be deadly.
The experts wrote: "Preventing infection with seasonal influenza viruses by vaccination might prevent the induction of heterosubtypic immunity to pandemic strains, which might be a disadvantage to immunologically naive people, such as infants."
The current swine flu pandemic could provide an opportunity to investigate the theory, they added.
Tributes have been paid to a schoolgirl who died after slipping in her high heels and falling under a train while waving goodbye to her friends.
