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| |  CDC Advisers Recommend Influenza Vaccination for Children Up to 18 Years of Age NEW YORK -- February 28, 2008 -- The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that children ages 6 months to 18 years receive an annual influenza vaccination. If the CDC adopts the recommendation, the number of children needing a vaccination would increase by approximately 30 million. The existing recommendation from the CDC covers children ages 6 months to 59 months. ACIP voted on the new recommendation during its meeting in Atlanta, held February 27-28, 2008. The new recommendation is to take effect as soon as possible, but no later than the 2009-2010 influenza season. However, healthcare professionals are encouraged to begin offering influenza vaccines to all children aged 6 months through 18 years in the 2008-2009 influenza season. Vaccinations should be consistent with the current recommendation that all persons who want to reduce the risk of becoming ill with influenza or of transmitting influenza to others should be vaccinated. "This new recommendation should reduce the risk of influenza infections among children of all ages, and their consequent need for medical visits and missed time from school," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. It also "will help parents understand that all children can benefit from vaccination and further encourages providers to start vaccination of children through age 18 next year," said Dr. Schuchat. In addition, results from a vaccine efficacy study among children aged 6 months to 23 months were presented at the meeting. The study findings indicated vaccine efficacy of nearly 75% in preventing influenza hospitalisations among fully vaccinated children in this age group during the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons. Alternatively, the study found that children who received only 1 dose of vaccine did not receive statistically significant protection. This new data underscore the importance of the existing ACIP recommendation that children aged younger than 9 years who receive the vaccine for the first time should be given 2 doses. The 2008-2009 influenza vaccine for the United States will include three new strains: (1) A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus, (2) a B/Florida/4/2006-like virus, and (3) A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like virus strain. The H3N2 and B virus vaccine components in the US vaccine are included in the 2008 vaccine for the Southern Hemisphere. The ACIP continues to recommend vaccination of all children who have certain chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, kidney disease, or weakened immune systems. In addition, vaccinating children younger than 5 years old should continue to be a priority because they are at higher risk for more severe influenza complications compared with older children. Household contacts of children younger than 6 months old should be vaccinated because children younger than 6 months cannot be given influenza vaccine, but they are the paediatric group at highest risk of influenza complications. To read the current CDC recommendations for childhood immunizations, visit http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5701a8.htm?s_cid=mm5701a8_e.
SOURCE: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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