Influenza Immunization at Midlife and the Risk of Parkinson Disease

Is immunization for influenza between age 40 and 50 years associated with a decreased risk of Parkinson disease later during the life course?In this cohort study of more than 1 million individuals who received influenza immunization at midlife and their matched controls, influenza immunization at midlife was not associated with the risk of incident Parkinson disease overall. Although results varied based on seasonality and time since vaccination, none of the differences were statistically significant.Findings of this study suggest that midlife influenza vaccination is not associated with the risk of Parkinson disease in the overall population, but potential benefits occurring several years after vaccination or in specific subgroups require further investigation.

Corresponding Author: Paul Brassard, MD, Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Lady Davis Institute, 3755 Chemin de la Cote St-Catherine, H-424, Montréal QC Canada H3T1E2 (paul.brassard@mcgill.ca).

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