According to a report in HealthDay News, all children and adolescents 6 months of age and older should receive the annual trivalent influenza vaccine this flu season. The updated recommendations are from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The AAP also says special efforts should be made to immunize anyone who falls into the following categories:
These groups are most vulnerable to flu-related complications, the academy pointed out in a news release.
Two influenza vaccines were recommended last year but only one trivalent vaccine is being made for the 2010-11 seasonal influenza vaccine schedule.
In this year’s trivalent vaccine, the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) strain has replaced last year’s influenza A (H1N1) strain. The new vaccine also includes two other strains of flu virus.
The seasonal flu vaccine policy statement was just released online and will be published in the October print issue of the journal Pediatrics.
Other recommendations included in the policy statement are as follows:
All children who are recommended to get two doses this year should receive the second dose at least four weeks after the first dose.
For more information, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about seasonal flu and vaccination here.