Children admitted to hospitals with laboratory-confirmed influenza who received the antiviral oseltamivir were 31 percent less likely to be admitted to intensive care than children who did not receive it, according to an analysis of eight flu seasons published in JAMA Pediatrics on August 10, 2026.
The finding lands at an awkward moment. National guidelines already call for treating hospitalized children with suspected or confirmed influenza, and the researchers noted that use in this setting has recently declined.
