SPH Student Teams up with Vikings to Fight Flu

As a practicing infectious disease specialist in the University of Minnesota's Department of Pediatrics, Mark Robien is familiar with the importance of giving kids an annual influenza vaccination. Now with a grant from the Minnesota Vikings, the epidemiology student is launching a three-year campaign aimed at vaccinating children.

Robien, along with his colleague Patricia Ferrieri, is focusing on two at-risk populations. The first are Twin Cities children from families who often face barriers to health care. The second are households undergoing a bone marrow transplant or other long-term treatments at the University.

"Families come here from around the world to get transplants," explains Robien. "They may not have insurance or they may not have an established physician for the members of the family who aren't receiving a transplant."

Vikings linebacker Ben Leber was on hand at a kickoff event where vaccines were offered to family members. Next up: working with neighborhood clinics to deliver vaccines.

"We plan to vaccinate at least 6,000 medically and socioeconomically vulnerable kids in the next two and a half years," says Robien.

Robien and Ferrieri also plan to analyze existing health care data to develop a big picture of household flu immunization--what socioeconomic and medical factors influence it and how many households are fully immunized. Robien hopes to add scientific findings to the emerging theory that vaccinating children is key to curbing influenza outbreaks.

"It's highly possible that kids are a major determinant of the flu and that they sustain it in the community," says Robien. "But there's very little data to support this. We're hoping to help change that."