ACIP Stresses Value of Influenza Vaccine for Medical Personnel

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's updated recommendations for the 2007–2008 flu season emphasize vaccinating health care personnel and catching up previously unvaccinated children aged 6 months to 8 years with two doses of vaccine.

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) published its updated flu vaccination recommendations for the 2007–2008 flu season in the July 13 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2007;56 [RR-6]:1–40).

New recommendations for the upcoming flu season include the following:

▸ For health care administrators. Treat the vaccination of health care personnel as a patient safety issue and implement ways to encourage all health care providers to get flu shots. For example, require signed statements from health care providers who decline flu vaccination.

▸ For clinicians. In addition to those who were not previously vaccinated, those children aged 6 months to 8 years who received only one dose of flu vaccine in earlier years should receive two doses this year. Administer a second dose of the trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) at least 4 weeks after the first dose. Clinicians who are using the live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) for these children should give a second dose at least 6–10 weeks after the first dose.

The TIV may be used for any person aged 6 months and older, including those with high-risk conditions. The LAIV is currently approved only for healthy, nonpregnant individuals aged 5–49 years. The influenza vaccine for the 2007–2008 season contains a new strain called A/Solomon Islands/3/2006 (H1N1)-like, along with two strains that have been used in previous vaccines: A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)-like and B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like viruses.

Vaccination coverage continues to fall short of the CDC's recommendations, and the CDC encourages clinicians to be proactive about vaccinating their patients and to offer vaccination throughout the flu season.

As in recent years, the CDC recommends annual vaccination for the following groups:

▸ Anyone (including school-aged children) who wants to reduce the risk of getting or transmitting the flu.

▸ All children aged 6 months to 4 years.

▸ All adults aged 50 years and older.

▸ Children and teens aged 6 months to 18 years who receive long-term aspirin therapy.

▸ Pregnant women or women who plan to be pregnant during the flu season.

▸ All persons with chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, liver, kidney, or metabolic disorders, including diabetes but excluding hypertension.

▸ All persons with conditions that could impede respiratory function (such as cognitive dysfunction, spinal cord injuries, or other neuromuscular problems).

▸ All immunosuppressed persons.

▸ Health care personnel.

▸ Healthy household contacts and caregivers of children younger than 5 years or of adults aged 50 years and older.

▸ Healthy household contacts and caregivers of anyone with a medical condition that increases the risk for influenza complications.

▸ Individuals in nursing homes or chronic care facilities.

Updates to the 2007–2008 flu vaccination recommendations will be posted on the CDC's Web site at www.cdc.gov/flu

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's updated recommendations for the 2007–2008 flu season emphasize vaccinating health care personnel and catching up previously unvaccinated children aged 6 months to 8 years with two doses of vaccine.

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) published its updated flu vaccination recommendations for the 2007–2008 flu season in the July 13 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2007;56 [RR-6]:1–40).

New recommendations for the upcoming flu season include the following:

▸ For health care administrators. Treat the vaccination of health care personnel as a patient safety issue and implement ways to encourage all health care providers to get flu shots. For example, require signed statements from health care providers who decline flu vaccination.

▸ For clinicians. In addition to those who were not previously vaccinated, those children aged 6 months to 8 years who received only one dose of flu vaccine in earlier years should receive two doses this year. Administer a second dose of the trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) at least 4 weeks after the first dose. Clinicians who are using the live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) for these children should give a second dose at least 6–10 weeks after the first dose.

The TIV may be used for any person aged 6 months and older, including those with high-risk conditions. The LAIV is currently approved only for healthy, nonpregnant individuals aged 5–49 years. The influenza vaccine for the 2007–2008 season contains a new strain called A/Solomon Islands/3/2006 (H1N1)-like, along with two strains that have been used in previous vaccines: A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)-like and B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like viruses.

Vaccination coverage continues to fall short of the CDC's recommendations, and the CDC encourages clinicians to be proactive about vaccinating their patients and to offer vaccination throughout the flu season.

As in recent years, the CDC recommends annual vaccination for the following groups:

▸ Anyone (including school-aged children) who wants to reduce the risk of getting or transmitting the flu.

▸ All children aged 6 months to 4 years.

▸ All adults aged 50 years and older.

▸ Children and teens aged 6 months to 18 years who receive long-term aspirin therapy.

▸ Pregnant women or women who plan to be pregnant during the flu season.

▸ All persons with chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, liver, kidney, or metabolic disorders, including diabetes but excluding hypertension.

▸ All persons with conditions that could impede respiratory function (such as cognitive dysfunction, spinal cord injuries, or other neuromuscular problems).

▸ All immunosuppressed persons.

▸ Health care personnel.

▸ Healthy household contacts and caregivers of children younger than 5 years or of adults aged 50 years and older.

▸ Healthy household contacts and caregivers of anyone with a medical condition that increases the risk for influenza complications.

▸ Individuals in nursing homes or chronic care facilities.

Updates to the 2007–2008 flu vaccination recommendations will be posted on the CDC's Web site at www.cdc.gov/flu

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's updated recommendations for the 2007–2008 flu season emphasize vaccinating health care personnel and catching up previously unvaccinated children aged 6 months to 8 years with two doses of vaccine.

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) published its updated flu vaccination recommendations for the 2007–2008 flu season in the July 13 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2007;56 [RR-6]:1–40).

New recommendations for the upcoming flu season include the following:

▸ For health care administrators. Treat the vaccination of health care personnel as a patient safety issue and implement ways to encourage all health care providers to get flu shots. For example, require signed statements from health care providers who decline flu vaccination.

▸ For clinicians. In addition to those who were not previously vaccinated, those children aged 6 months to 8 years who received only one dose of flu vaccine in earlier years should receive two doses this year. Administer a second dose of the trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) at least 4 weeks after the first dose. Clinicians who are using the live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) for these children should give a second dose at least 6–10 weeks after the first dose.

The TIV may be used for any person aged 6 months and older, including those with high-risk conditions. The LAIV is currently approved only for healthy, nonpregnant individuals aged 5–49 years. The influenza vaccine for the 2007–2008 season contains a new strain called A/Solomon Islands/3/2006 (H1N1)-like, along with two strains that have been used in previous vaccines: A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)-like and B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like viruses.

Vaccination coverage continues to fall short of the CDC's recommendations, and the CDC encourages clinicians to be proactive about vaccinating their patients and to offer vaccination throughout the flu season.

As in recent years, the CDC recommends annual vaccination for the following groups:

▸ Anyone (including school-aged children) who wants to reduce the risk of getting or transmitting the flu.

▸ All children aged 6 months to 4 years.

▸ All adults aged 50 years and older.

▸ Children and teens aged 6 months to 18 years who receive long-term aspirin therapy.

▸ Pregnant women or women who plan to be pregnant during the flu season.

▸ All persons with chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, liver, kidney, or metabolic disorders, including diabetes but excluding hypertension.

▸ All persons with conditions that could impede respiratory function (such as cognitive dysfunction, spinal cord injuries, or other neuromuscular problems).

▸ All immunosuppressed persons.

▸ Health care personnel.

▸ Healthy household contacts and caregivers of children younger than 5 years or of adults aged 50 years and older.

▸ Healthy household contacts and caregivers of anyone with a medical condition that increases the risk for influenza complications.

▸ Individuals in nursing homes or chronic care facilities.

Updates to the 2007–2008 flu vaccination recommendations will be posted on the CDC's Web site at www.cdc.gov/flu