ACIP 2008-09 Flu Recommendations
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) released its 2008-09 influenza recommendations on August 8. Key updates and changes include:
- Annual vaccination be administered to all children aged 5 to18 years beginning in the 2008-09 influenza season, if feasible, but no later than the 2009-10 season
- Annual vaccination of all children aged 6 months through 4 years (59 months) continues to be a primary focus of vaccination efforts because these children are at higher risk for influenza complications than older children
- Either trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine or live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) be used when vaccinating healthy persons aged 2 through 49 years (The previous recommendation was to administer LAIV to persons aged 5-49 years.)
- Vaccines containing the 2008-09 trivalent vaccine virus strains A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like, A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like, and B/Florida/4/2006-like antigens should be used
- Amantadine and rimantadine should continue to not be used because of persistent antiviral resistance among influenza viruses in the United States
The full text of the ACIP recommendations is available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5707a1.htm?s_cid=rr5707a1_e.