New Flu Vaccine Recommendations
There is one big change in this year's flu shot recommendations that may affect your kids. As many parents know, kids who are under age nine get two doses of the flu vaccine the first year that they get immunized. However, if for some reason they only got one (say, due to a vaccine shortage), it was thought that they could continue with the one dose a year routine the following flu season like everyone else.The latest flu vaccine recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), however, state that children who received only one dose of the flu vaccine during their first season of getting it still need two doses the following year. Remember, though, that this only applies to kids under age nine.
The ACIP also now says that:
- anyone can get a flu vaccine, even if they aren't high risk, if they want to decrease their risk of getting the flu or getting other people sick
- kids can get their flu vaccine at any time during the flu season, although it would be best to get it before the flu season starts or as early in the flu season as possible
FluMist Update
Another big change this year is that FluMist, the intranasal flu vaccine, has been approved for kids as young as age two years old. Remember that it previously was only available to children five and older, which should make many preschoolers who weren't looking forward to a flu shot happy.When Should Your Child Get A Flu Shot?
In the past few years, because of the shortages and delays, you didn't have much choice over when you could get your kids vaccinated. Most parents simply tried to get their kids vaccinated as soon as they could.When there's a ready supply of flu vaccine, as there is this season, you'll want to get your child vaccinated before flu season starts or as early as possible during flu season. You could get your flu vaccine at any time, but the later you wait, the greater the risk that your child will catch the flu before he is protected by his flu vaccine. Keep in mind that a typical flu season usually begins in December, peaks in February, and may continue until March.
Because children under age nine need two doses of flu vaccine to get full protection when vaccinated for the first time, they can get their first shot in September, if your pediatrician already has the vaccine on hand.
Most other children should begin getting their flu shots in October and November.
Where to Get the Flu Shot
Your pediatrician's office is likely the best place to get your child's flu shot. But since many parents had problems finding flu shots for their kids in recent years, you might ask your pediatrician about his flu vaccine supply and immunization policy early on.If you are interested in getting your older child FluMist (to avoid a shot) or the preservative-free flu vaccine (to avoid thimerosal), you should also ask if your pediatrician will have them -- not all doctors do.
2007-08 Influenza Vaccine Strains
The flu strains that will go around this year likely won't matter to you or your kids, as long as they match those covered by the flu vaccine. Here are the flu virus strains in this year's flu vaccine:- an A/Solomon Islands/3/2006 (H1N1)-like virus (new for this season)
- an A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)-like virus (A/Wisconsin/67/2005 and A/Hiroshima/52/2005 strains)
- a B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like virus
For more information, please visit our guide to Kids and the Flu..
Updated for the 2007-2008 flu season.
Source:
Prevention & Control of Influenza - Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR. July 13, 2007 / 56(RR06);1-54
