The seasonal flu vaccine is effective at protecting people over the age of 60 during epidemics, a new study appears to confirm.

While anybody can get the flu, those most at risk include older people, infants and those with compromised immunity as a result of other chronic illnesses.

In Ireland, an annual flu vaccination campaign is launched ahead of each winter in an attempt to encourage people in ‘at risk' groups to get themselves vaccinated.

Scientists in the Netherlands decided to assess the effectiveness of the flu vaccine specifically in people over the age of 60 using a method that is seen as more accurate because it is thought to rule out bias, which can affect study findings.

They assessed the data contained in 35 international studies on this topic and found that vaccination was ‘significantly effective' against laboratory-confirmed influenza during widespread outbreaks and epidemics.

"Our findings show that in elderly people, irrespective of vaccine match, seasonal influenza vaccination is effective against laboratory-confirmed influenza during epidemic seasons. Efforts should be renewed worldwide to further increase uptake of the influenza vaccine in the elderly population," the team from the University of Groningen said.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

For more information on the HSE's annual flu campaign, click here