Seasonal influenza is a common and widespread virus that affects public health, particularly in children, each year. In this study, we aimed to examine the clinical features and complications of influenza in Vietnamese children (under 16 years old) to inform influenza prevention and complication management programs. The results show that, over a two-year period from 2022 to 2024, 1,061 patients were hospitalized at the Vietnam National Children’s Hospital, with the most common diagnoses being respiratory diseases (44%), high fever (30.7%), and febrile seizures (13.9%). Among the respiratory disease group, 34.7% of patients had severe conditions with respiratory failure. The majority of patients (76.8%) were under 5 years old, and influenza A was the most prevalent strain, accounting for 77.9% of cases. Notably, 89% of the patients had not received any dose of the influenza vaccine, and the mortality rate was 1.4%. We conclude that the complication rate in this study, particularly for severe conditions, was higher, and the high rate of unvaccinated individuals may indicate a need for greater emphasis on vaccination and prevention programs.
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