A new type of more effective flu vaccine is "urgently needed" to prevent widespread outbreaks and death, medical researchers have warned.
Scientists who had been studying 40 years of research say the current batch of vaccines do not offer adequate protection against seasonal flu outbreaks or pandemics.
Researchers found the most widely used seasonal flu vaccine, known as trivalent inactivated vaccine (TIV), was only 59% effective in healthy adults.
A newer kind of nasal spray vaccine was shown to prevent influenza in 83% of children aged seven or younger.
However, this type of vaccine is not currently recommended for children in the UK.
Responding to the findings on protecting children Professor Wendy Barclay, a flu expert at University College London, said: "Overall the paper comes out quite strongly to say that vaccinating children with a live attenuated influenza vaccine is one of the more reliable paths to follow given the currently available armament."
The current pandemic swine flu vaccine was found to be around 69% effective in people aged under 65.
Dr Michael Osterholm, one of the authors of the study published in the journal The Lancet, said: "The ongoing health burden caused by seasonal influenza and the potential global effect of a severe pandemic suggests an urgent need for a new generation of more highly effective and cross-protective vaccines that can be manufactured rapidly."
A Department of Health spokesman said: "Vaccination is the best line of defence against flu. We urge all over-65s and anyone in an at-risk group to get vaccinated.
The news comes as the release of a survey by Lloyds pharmacy found people would rather go to work suffering from a cold or flu than take sick leave.
Of a test group of 2,000 people half said they would go in to work for fear of repercussions from bosses due to the economic downturn .
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