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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Influenza epidemics have high costs in morbidity, mortality, and medical care.¹ Elderly patients with disabilities are particularly susceptible to the complications of influenza. These complications may not only include pneumonia but also exacerbations of underlying medical conditions such as chronic heart and lung disease and even death. Although elderly patients with disabilities are reported to be effectively immunized against influenza,² it is uncertain whether bedridden patients benefit from influenza vaccination. We therefore evaluated the effect of vaccination on the rate of hospitalization for and complications of influenza, including pneumonia, and all respiratory conditions in bedridden patients in long-term care facilities.

With use of the activities of daily living index,³ 90 patients were assessed and put into the categories of total disability or dependence The cause of disability was multiple cerebral infarctions. We excluded patients if they were immunocompromised, eg, those with active malignant disease, those undergoing renal dialysis, or those . . . [Full Text of this Article]