CDC ANNOUNCES NEW ACIP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FLU VACCINE

The CDC has announced new and revised recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the prevention and control of influenza in an early release of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Five primary changes and updates highlight this 86-page document:

• Routine seasonal influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons aged ≥6 months.

• Two doses, at least four weeks apart, are recommended for all children aged 6 months to 8 years who are receiving seasonal vaccine for the first time. To bring all children into compliance: a) Children should also receive two doses if they were in the age group last year but received only one dose. b) Children in this age group who did not receive at least one dose of H1N1 monovalent vaccine last year should receive two doses of seasonal 2010-2011 vaccine this year regardless of previous vaccine history. c) Children in this age group should also receive two doses of seasonal 2010-2011 vaccine if the type of vaccine they received last year is not known.

• The 2010-2011 trivalent vaccines will contain A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like, A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like, and B/Brisbane/60/2008-like antigens.

• Persons aged ≥65 years can receive the new inactivated trivalent vaccine, Fluzone High-Dose or any of the standard-dose TIV preparations.

• A new inactivated influenza vaccine (Agriflu by Novartis), has been approved for persons aged ≥18 years; and the age indications have been expanded for two previously approved inactivated vaccines (Fluarix by GlaxoSmithKline for persons aged ≥3 years and Afluria by CSL Biotherapies for persons aged ≥6 months).

More information can be accessed online in the complete Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), Volume 59, titled “Prevention and Control of Influenza with Vaccines: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2010.”

This entry was posted on Monday, August 2nd, 2010 at 11:16 am and is filed under FLU/IMMUNIZATION UPDATES. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.