Annual flu vaccines may help prevent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from worsening, according to researchers in India who studied 87 COPD patients, average age of about 65, who'd never previously had a flu shot.
The patients were followed for a year before and after they received the vaccine. The flu vaccine reduced overall breathing problems by 67 percent, the study found. Among patients with severe COPD, there was a 75 percent reduction in the incidence of additional respiratory problems, United Press International reported. The study findings were published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice.
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