According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 20,000 Americans die each year from influenza and another 110,000 people are hospitalized for the illness. Previous studies have shown that the flu vaccine can be very beneficial to patients in prevention of the illness. A new study that targets elderly patients contains great news for people over the age of 50 or those suffering from chronic illnesses.

Thirty-nine percent of Stockholm's elderly patients participated in a study conducted by Swedish scientists. The study showed that hospitalization of influenza patients who were vaccinated against the illness was reduced by 46%. It also showed that the hospitalization of pneumonia patients was reduced by 29% and the death rate of elderly patients was cut by 57%. This study suggests that the flu vaccine may be very beneficial to all elderly patients, regardless of their preexisting conditions such as heart disease or lung problems.