New Influenza Vaccine Guidelines for 2010-2011

From the CDC:

There are some significant changes in this flu season's recommendations that healthcare providers and clinicians should be aware of before beginning flu vaccination efforts.

On July 29, 2010, the CDC's ACIP issued recommendations for everyone 6 months of age and older who do not have any contraindications to vaccination, to receive a flu vaccine each year, beginning this flu season. ACIP recommends that children 6 months through 8 years of age receive 2 doses of the 2010-2011 flu vaccine with a minimal interval of 4 weeks unless they have received:

• At least 1 dose of 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine last season; and
• At least 1 dose of seasonal flu vaccine prior to the 2009-2010 flu season or 2 doses of 2009-2010 seasonal flu vaccine.

If a child has fulfilled both of these requirements, they only need 1 flu vaccine.
Also important to note within the new recommendations is information about a newly approved vaccine, Fluzone High-Dose, for those 65 years of age and older, which simply adds another vaccine option for this group. Those 65 years and older can choose a standard-dose trivalent flu vaccine (15 mcg per strain) or the Fluzone High-Dose vaccine (60 mcg hemagglutinin antigen per strain).
Other additions to the recommendations include information about newly approved flu vaccines, as well as previously approved vaccines with expanded age indications.

A new inactivated flu vaccine, Agriflu, has been approved for people 18 years of age and older. Fluarix is now approved for use in those 3 years of age and older, while Afluria is available for use in those 9 years of age and older. High-risk children 5 through 8 years of age are recommended to receive Afluria ONLY if all other age-appropriate alternatives are unavailable.

The 2010-2011 flu vaccine is made in the same way as past flu vaccines. Over the years, hundreds of millions of people in the US have safely received seasonal flu vaccines. This year's vaccine will protect against the 3 main viruses that research indicates will cause the most illness. This season's flu vaccine will protect against 2009 H1N1, an A- H3N2 virus, and a B virus.
Since the seasonal vaccine will protect against the 2009 H1N1 virus, 2 different flu vaccines will not be necessary this season.

While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu season, it's especially important that certain groups get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk of developing flu-related complications. They are:

• Pregnant women;
• Children younger than 5, and especially children younger than 2 years;
• People 50 years of age and older;
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions such as asthma and diabetes;
• People with immunosuppression, whether due to illness or medications;
• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities; and
• People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
  
  
  1. Healthcare workers
  2. Household contacts of people at high risk for complications from the flu
  3. Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (no vaccine is approved for children younger than 6 months, as these children are too young to be vaccinated)